exhibit 32 - law.com...an agent of conrad & scherer, iradvocates, and albert van bilderbeek....
TRANSCRIPT
EXHIBIT 32
Case 0:08-md-01916-KAM Document 1080-33 Entered on FLSD Docket 04/27/2016 Page 1 of 193
IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF ALABAMA
SOUTHERN DIVISION
DRUMMOND COMPANY, INC.; and DRUMMOND LTD.,
Plaintiffs,
vs.
TERRENCE P. COLLINGSWORTH, individually and as agent of Conrad & Scherer, LLP, International Rights Advocates, Inc., and Albert van Bilderbeek; CONRAD & SCHERER, LLP; WILLIAM R. SCHERER, JR., individually and as agent of Conrad & Scherer, LLP; INTERNATIONALRIGHTS ADVOCATES, INC.; IVAN ALFREDO OTERO MENDOZA; FRANCISCO RAMIREZ CUELLAR; and ALBERT VAN BILDERBEEK.
Defendants .
))))))))))))))))))))))))))))
CIVIL ACTION NO. ___________
COMPLAINT
I. NATURE OF THE ACTION
1. This is a civil action brought by Drummond Company, Inc. and
Drummond Ltd. (hereinafter sometimes collectively referred to as “Drummond”)
pursuant to the provisions of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations
Act (“RICO”), 18 U.S.C. § 1961, et seq., concerning a pattern of racketeering
activity perpetrated by Defendants Terrence P. Collingsworth (“Collingsworth”),
FILED 2015 Mar-27 PM 02:13U.S. DISTRICT COURT
N.D. OF ALABAMA
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Conrad & Scherer, LLP, International Rights Advocates, Inc. (“IRAdvocates”),
William R. Scherer, Ivan Alfredo Otero Mendoza (“Otero”), Francisco Ramirez
Cuellar (“Ramirez”), and Albert van Bilderbeek, as well as others known and
unknown (sometimes collectively, the “RICO Defendants”). Since at least 2008,
and continuing to present day, these Defendants and their co-conspirators have
constituted an associated-in-fact enterprise (the “Enterprise”) and have conspired
to perpetrate, and have in fact perpetrated, a scheme to extort money from and
otherwise damage Drummond through a litany of illegal acts, including bribery,
mail fraud, wire fraud, obstruction of justice, witness tampering, and money
laundering.
2. Over the span of more than six years, Defendants have engaged in a
multifaceted criminal campaign to exert pressure upon Drummond in an attempt to
damage Drummond’s reputation and business interests and obtain a fraudulent and
extortionate financial windfall. This campaign includes three fraudulent lawsuits,1
media campaigns in the United States, Colombia and Europe, attempting to
influence and damage Drummond’s union relations, as well as the use of
“advocacy” groups to spread Defendants’ false message that Drummond
collaborated with a Colombian paramilitary organization, the United Self-Defense
1 As discussed more fully below, these lawsuits are Claudia Balcero, et al. v. Drummond
Company, Inc., et al., 2:09-cv-1041-RDP (N.D. Ala.) (hereinafter “Balcero”); Baloco, et al. v. Drummond Company, Inc., 7:09-cv-00557-RDP (N.D. Ala.) (hereinafter “Baloco”); and Melo, et al. v. Drummond Company, Inc., 2:13-cv-00393-RDP (N.D. Ala.) (hereinafter “Melo”).
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Forces of Colombia (“AUC”), in the murders of hundreds of civilians. This false
message is premised entirely on the “testimony” of “witnesses” who are admitted
terrorists and murderers imprisoned in Colombia. It is now known that
Defendants paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to these criminals, among other
illegal inducements, in order to procure this “testimony.” In the course of this
scheme, Defendants fraudulently concealed the existence of these payments and
inducements. Their attempts to hide this misconduct continue to this day. Indeed,
in April of 2014, Collingsworth lied to a federal judge when he was directly
questioned about the scope of the payments that were beginning to surface.
3. Once Defendants were caught concealing their witness payments, they
attempted to excuse them by calling them “security” payments—needed to protect
the witnesses and their families because the witnesses’ testimony put their lives in
danger. This is a ruse. As held by the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, “A jury
could find it strange that those who insist that their conduct was proper and their
intent pure went to such great lengths to hide it all from the light of day. From
such secrecy much may be inferred.” Cox v. Adm’r U.S. Steel & Carnegie, 17 F.3d
1386, 1402 (11th Cir. 1994). As explained further herein, the Enterprise had no
concern for “security” when it broadcast to the public the identities and allegations
of these “witnesses,” even issuing a press release publicizing the precise date and
location one of the witnesses would be providing testimony against Drummond.
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Furthermore, despite repeated requests to do so, Defendants have yet to produce
even so much as a police report where a threat to any of these witnesses’ families
has been reported or a single invoice for “security” services provided to anyone.
Indeed, the only “evidence” Defendants can muster of any supposed “threats” is
the claims of the paid witnesses themselves.
4. The Enterprise has effected their payments to witnesses through
various mechanisms. For example, the Enterprise has been making monthly
payments to witness Jairo Jesus Charris Castro since at least July 2009—
. The payments are made by a member of the
Enterprise in the United States withdrawing cash from United States bank
accounts, and taking that cash to places such as Publix or Wal-Mart in order to
send an international wire transfer to Colombia via MoneyGram or Western Union.
The money is then picked up by another member of the Enterprise in Colombia,
who deposits it into the Colombian bank account of Charris’s wife (Charris
remains incarcerated in Colombia). Payments have also been made via direct
international bank wires from the United States bank account of Conrad & Scherer
to the Colombian accounts of witnesses’ family members and criminal lawyers. In
fact, the criminal lawyer for many of the witnesses, Ivan Otero, is a member of the
Enterprise and has been promised a substantial contingency fee in the multiple
civil cases the Enterprise has filed against Drummond in Alabama federal court.
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One can search the annals of legal history and likely not find another instance of
something like this: a plaintiff’s lawyer promising a contingency fee to the
criminal lawyer for a fact witness in a civil case that hinges on that witness’s
testimony.
5. The payments to Colombian witnesses, their lawyers, and their family
members described in this Complaint must be viewed against the backdrop of the
economic realities in Colombia. Ten dollars for someone in the United States is
not the same as ten dollars for someone in Colombia, and is certainly not the same
to the incarcerated witnesses at issue here, many of whom have little to no
financial means. According to statistics compiled by DANE, Colombia’s statistics
agency, in 2009 almost half of Colombia’s population lived below the poverty line,
which is defined as earning less than $143 per month. The average Colombian
household in 2009 earned $287 (or 560,409 Colombian pesos) per month. In the
United States, by contrast, the average household income for 2009 according to the
U.S. Census Bureau was $6,152 per month.2 So, for example, when the Enterprise
promised to pay Charris’s family 1,500,000 Colombian pesos per month, it was the
promise of a salary approximately 2.68 times that of the average household in
Colombia. Offering the same deal to a witness in the United States would roughly
equate to a tax-free salary of $16,487.36 per month (or almost $200,000 per year).
2 Available at http://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2014/demo/p60-249.pdf.
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6. The full extent of Defendants’ misconduct is continuing to unravel,
and the true scope of the Enterprise’s witness payment schemes may never be
known. It has recently been discovered that
7. Drummond has never paid Colombian paramilitaries, or any other
illegal group in Colombia. Over the course of the Enterprise’s multiple fraudulent
lawsuits against Drummond, Drummond has produced hundreds of thousands of
documents and opened its bank records for inspection. There is no documentary
evidence of a single payment to Colombian paramilitaries. Rather, the Enterprise
premised their fraudulent lawsuits against Drummond entirely on the “testimony”
of former terrorists and murderers. In fact, the Balcero case survived dismissal at
the pleadings stage based almost exclusively on the false allegations of El Tigre.
El Tigre and five other criminals provided trial testimony against Drummond
To date, Drummond has spent more than $8.5
million defending itself in Balcero alone, and those costs continue to mount. The
Enterprise has pursued three fraudulent lawsuits against Drummond premised on
false testimony procured through fraud and bribery, forcing Drummond to expend
more than $10 million in legal costs to date. Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 1964(c),
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these damages are to be trebled, and Drummond is therefore entitled to more than
$30 million in damages for the legal costs alone.
8. In addition, the Enterprise has spread these false allegations
throughout the world, spearheading media and public relations campaigns, and
collaborating with activist groups to spread their fraudulent message. The
resulting damage to Drummond’s business interests is enormous, and will have to
be determined by a jury. The damage to Drummond’s goodwill and reputation is
irreparable.
II. PARTIES
9. Plaintiff Drummond Company, Inc. is a citizen of the state of
Alabama because it is an Alabama corporation with its principal place of business
in Birmingham, Alabama. During the time relevant to this Complaint,
Drummond’s subsidiary, Drummond Ltd., has operated a coal mine in Colombia,
South America (hereinafter “the Colombian Mine”).
10. Plaintiff Drummond Ltd. is a citizen of the state of Alabama because
it is an Alabama limited partnership headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama.
11. Defendant Collingsworth is an American plaintiffs’ lawyer who is a
citizen of the District of Columbia. Collingsworth is sued both individually and as
an agent of Conrad & Scherer, IRAdvocates, and Albert van Bilderbeek.
Collingsworth is a partner at Conrad & Scherer, the Executive Director of
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IRAdvocates, and an attorney for Albert van Bilderbeek. During the time relevant
to this Complaint, Collingsworth has conducted business in Birmingham,
Alabama.
12. Defendant Conrad & Scherer is a law firm organized as a limited
liability partnership with its principal place of business in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
During the time relevant to this Complaint, Conrad & Scherer has conducted
business by agent in Birmingham, Alabama. No partner of Conrad & Scherer,
LLP is a citizen of Alabama, and, with the exception of Collingsworth (who is a
citizen of the District of Columbia) and Eric Hager (who is domiciled in Quito,
Ecuador), all are citizens of the state of Florida.
13. Defendant William R. (“Bill”) Scherer, Jr., at all relevant times, was
an officer, partner and/or agent of Conrad & Scherer, serving as its Managing
Partner. Scherer is sued both individually and as an agent of Conrad & Scherer.
Scherer is a U.S. citizen and a citizen of the state of Florida. During the time
relevant to this Complaint, Scherer has conducted business in Birmingham,
Alabama.
14. Defendant IRAdvocates is an organization based in Washington, D.C.,
claiming to be a non-profit advocacy group. IRAdvocates was founded by
Collingsworth, who currently serves as its Executive Director, and its primary
purpose is litigating for-profit plaintiffs’ cases. Most, if not all, of IRAdvocates’
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advocacy projects are related to cases litigated by Collingsworth. In fact, the office
for IRAdvocates, located at 1156 15th Street NW, Suite 502, Washington, DC
20005, also serves as Conrad & Scherer’s Washington, DC office. As a non-profit
District of Columbia corporation with its principal place of business in the District
of Columbia, IRAdvocates is a citizen of the District of Columbia.
15. Defendant Ramirez is believed to be a citizen of Colombia. Ramirez
is sued both individually and as an agent of Conrad & Scherer and IRAdvocates.
He is a Colombian lawyer, activist, and former President of a Colombian
mineworkers’ union. In furtherance of the Enterprise’s extortionate schemes, he
has used his positions and influence with Colombian unions to damage
Drummond’s union relations. He has contracted with U.S. citizens Collingsworth
and Conrad & Scherer whereby he is promised a contingency fee in at least three
U.S. civil cases pending in Birmingham, Alabama, and has paid witnesses for
testimony to be used in those U.S. proceedings. In connection with those U.S.
proceedings, he has appeared as counsel during depositions in Birmingham,
Alabama. He has been represented to be a collaborating attorney with U.S.-based
IRAdvocates. Upon information and belief, he is married to a U.S. citizen, and
resides at times in the U.S. at an apartment he maintains in Flushing, New York.
16. Defendant Otero is a citizen of Colombia residing in Valledupar,
Colombia. Otero is sued both individually and as an agent of Conrad & Scherer
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and IRAdvocates. He is a Colombian criminal lawyer, who has represented nearly
all of the incarcerated witnesses that claim Drummond had ties to the AUC,
He has contracted
with U.S. citizens Collingsworth and Conrad & Scherer whereby he is promised a
contingency fee in at least three U.S. civil cases pending in Birmingham, Alabama,
. In
connection with those U.S. proceedings, he has appeared as counsel for witnesses
providing trial testimony to be used in a lawsuit pending in Birmingham, Alabama.
He has also submitted two sworn declarations to federal court in Birmingham,
Alabama, in furtherance of the conspiracy alleged herein.
17. Defendant Albert van Bilderbeek is a citizen and resident of the
Netherlands. Albert van Bilderbeek and his brother, Hendrik van Bilderbeek, are
the principals of Llanos Oil Exploration Ltd. (“Llanos Oil”), a Dutch entity that
views Drummond as a competitor in Colombia. Llanos Oil has made the wild
accusation that Drummond conspired with the Colombian government to steal oil
and gas rights from Llanos Oil. Collingsworth has a contract with the van
Bilderbeeks which entitles him to 33.3% of any recovery obtained by Llanos Oil in
relation to these oil and gas rights. In furtherance of the RICO Defendants’
massive extortion campaign, Albert van Bilderbeek
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Albert van Bilderbeek has also conspired with and assisted the RICO
Defendants in obtaining media exposure in Europe for the false allegations levied
against Drummond by witnesses who have been paid in exchange for their
testimony. During the times relevant to this Complaint, Albert van Bilderbeek has
conducted business in Birmingham, Alabama through his agent, Collingsworth.
III. NON-PARTY CO-CONSPIRATORS
18. Lorraine Leete (“Leete”), at all relevant times, was an employee and
agent of IRAdvocates. Leete facilitated many of the illegal witness payments
described in this Complaint, and did so with the purpose of obtaining false
testimony against Drummond that the RICO Defendants utilized in their
multifaceted and fraudulent scheme to extort money from Drummond. At the
RICO Defendants’ direction and with their full knowledge, Leete disseminated this
false, paid-for testimony to members of the media and non-governmental “activist”
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groups as part of a malicious campaign to destroy Drummond’s reputation and
fraudulently create public pressure on Drummond to pay money to the RICO
Defendants so that they would cease their extortionate scheme. Upon information
and belief, Leete is a U.S. citizen and a resident of Bogota, Colombia.
19. Rebecca Pendleton (“Pendleton”), at times relevant to this Complaint,
was an employee and agent of Conrad & Scherer. Pendleton facilitated many of
the illegal witness payments described in this Complaint, and did so with the
purpose of obtaining false testimony against Drummond that the RICO Defendants
utilized in their multifaceted and fraudulent scheme to extort money from
Drummond. Upon information and belief, Pendleton is a U.S. citizen and a
resident of Bogota, Colombia.
20. Christian Levesque (“Levesque”), at all relevant times, was an
employee and agent of Conrad & Scherer and IRAdvocates, and an attorney of
record in Baloco, Balcero and Melo for the plaintiffs in those cases. Levesque was
aware of many of the illegal witness payments described in this Complaint, and she
also knew that the purpose of those payments was to purchase false testimony
against Drummond that the RICO Defendants then utilized in their multifaceted
and fraudulent scheme to extort money from Drummond. Levesque has caused
that false testimony to be submitted in judicial proceedings with the intent to
further the RICO Defendants’ multifaceted and fraudulent extortionate scheme. At
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the RICO Defendants’ direction and with their full knowledge, Levesque has also
disseminated this false, paid-for testimony to members of the media and non-
governmental “activist” groups as part of a malicious campaign to destroy
Drummond’s reputation and fraudulently create public pressure on Drummond to
pay money to the RICO Defendants so that they would cease their extortionate
scheme. Levesque also conspired with the RICO Defendants to fraudulently
conceal the fact of the illegal witness payments described in this Complaint. Upon
information and belief, Levesque is a U.S. citizen and a resident of Washington,
D.C.
21. Richard Drath (“Drath”), at all relevant times, was an officer,
employee and/or agent of Conrad & Scherer, serving as its Chief Financial Officer.
Drath facilitated and assisted in structuring many of the illegal witness payments
described in this Complaint, and did so with the purpose of obtaining false
testimony against Drummond that the RICO Defendants utilized in their
multifaceted and fraudulent scheme to extort money from Drummond. Drath also
conspired with the RICO Defendants to fraudulently conceal the fact of the illegal
witness payments described in this Complaint. Upon information and belief, Drath
is a U.S. citizen and a resident of Florida.
22. PAX, The Netherlands (“PAX”) is a non-governmental organization
based in The Netherlands. PAX conspired with and assisted the RICO Defendants
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in a malicious campaign to fraudulently create public pressure on Drummond to
pay money to the RICO Defendants so that they would cease their extortionate
scheme. PAX’s assistance included the publishing and dissemination of a report
titled “The Dark Side of Coal, Paramilitary Violence in the Mining Region of
Cesar, Colombia” in approximately June of 2014, which was compiled with the
substantial assistance of the RICO Defendants. That report is replete with
falsehoods and accuses Drummond of collaborating with the AUC. As part of
their scheme to fraudulently create public pressure on Drummond, the RICO
Defendants provided PAX with the information for this report with full knowledge
that said information was based on the false, paid-for testimony of imprisoned
Colombian paramilitaries. PAX then published this report on its website, and
disseminated the report to European governmental officials and European
businesses, with the RICO Defendants’ full knowledge, and despite Drummond’s
notification to PAX that the testimony of the witnesses upon whom the report
relies for its malicious allegations was paid for. PAX’s publishing and
dissemination of this report was done in furtherance of the RICO Defendants’
multifaceted and fraudulent scheme to extort money from Drummond.
23. Ricardo Garzon (“Garzon”) is a Colombian attorney and, at all
relevant times, was a member of the RICO Defendants’ litigation team in the
Balcero case. Garzon facilitated some of the illegal witness payments described in
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this Complaint, and did so with the purpose of obtaining false testimony against
Drummond that the RICO Defendants utilized in their multifaceted and fraudulent
scheme to extort money from Drummond. Upon information and belief, Garzon is
a Colombian citizen and resides in Colombia.
24. Carlos Toro (“Toro”) is the Colombian criminal attorney for at least
one of the witnesses paid by the Enterprise. Toro has also been retained as an
“expert” for the Enterprise. Toro conspired with and assisted the RICO
Defendants in obtaining false, paid-for testimony against Drummond that the
RICO Defendants utilized in their multifaceted and fraudulent scheme to extort
money from Drummond. Upon information and belief, Toro is a Colombian
citizen and resides in Colombia.
25. Secure Pointe Partners International, LLC (“Secure Pointe”) is a
private investigation and security firm located in Houston, Texas. Secure Pointe
was retained by the Enterprise to provide “investigation” services in Colombia.
Based on the testimony of at least one witness, Secure Pointe is believed to have
acted as a conduit for the Enterprise’s payments to incarcerated witnesses and their
lawyers.
26. Witness for Peace (“Witness for Peace”) is a non-profit organization
headquartered in Washington, D.C., which, according to its website, seeks to
“chang[e] U.S. policies and corporate practices that contribute to poverty and
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oppression in Latin America and the Caribbean.” See
http://witnessforpeace.org/section.php?id=89. In concert with and with the
assistance of the RICO Defendants, Witness for Peace engaged in a public
campaign in the United States, including speaking engagements in Alabama,
disseminating false and misleading statements about Drummond that were
premised on the false testimony of witnesses paid by the RICO Defendants in an
effort to destroy Drummond’s reputation and fraudulently create public pressure on
Drummond to pay money to the RICO Defendants so that they would cease their
extortionate scheme.
27. At all relevant times, each of the non-party co-conspirators named in
Paragraphs 18 through 26 acted in concert with, or as an agent for, the RICO
Defendants and conspired with the RICO Defendants to perform the acts described
above.
IV. SUBJECT MATTER JURISDICTION AND VENUE
28. This Court has subject matter jurisdiction over this matter pursuant to
28 U.S.C. §§ 1331 and 1332, and under 18 U.S.C. § 1964(c). Drummond’s first
claim for relief is a federal law claim arising under 18 U.S.C. § 1961, et seq., and
thus 28 U.S.C. § 1331 provides this Court with subject matter jurisdiction. There
is also complete diversity of citizenship and the amount in controversy, including
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compensatory and punitive damages, exceeds $75,000. Accordingly, this Court
also possesses subject matter jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1332.
29. Drummond’s state law claims arise out of the same case or
controversy as its federal law claims and involve a common nucleus of operative
facts. Thus, this Court also has supplemental jurisdiction over Drummond’s state
law claims under 28 U.S.C. § 1367.
30. Venue is proper in this judicial district pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §
1391(b)(2) because a substantial part of the events or omissions giving rise to
Drummond’s claim occurred in this District. Venue is also proper in this District
under 18 U.S.C. § 1965.
V. PERSONAL JURISDICTION
31. Exercise of jurisdiction over Collingsworth is appropriate in this
District because he conducts extensive business activities within this State.
Collingsworth has systematically and purposefully availed himself of the Alabama
forum by instituting and participating in litigation against Drummond in this
District for over 10 years. Collingsworth is the mastermind and leader of a
massive and multifaceted campaign to defraud and extort Drummond. The effects
of this campaign were intended to be and were in fact felt, and continue to be felt,
in the United States, and Alabama in particular, by Drummond, a known Alabama
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resident. Personal jurisdiction over Collingsworth is proper under 18 U.S.C. §
1965.
32. Exercise of jurisdiction over Conrad & Scherer is appropriate in this
District because Conrad & Scherer conducts extensive business activities within
this State. Conrad & Scherer has purposefully availed itself of the Alabama forum
by instituting and participating in litigation against Drummond in this District from
2009 through the present as part of its scheme to defraud and extort money from
Drummond, a known Alabama resident. Through its agents and co-conspirators,
Conrad & Scherer has transacted and continues to transact business in this State,
and there is a substantial nexus between Conrad & Scherer’s purposeful availment
of the Alabama forum and Drummond’s claims. Conrad & Scherer’s co-
conspirators and agents have also engaged in wrongful and illegal acts in the
United States and in Alabama. Conrad & Scherer was aware of the effects in
Alabama of those acts, which were for the benefit of Conrad & Scherer, and its co-
conspirators and agents were working at the direction, under the control, at the
request, and/or on behalf of Conrad & Scherer in committing those acts. Personal
jurisdiction over Conrad & Scherer is proper under 18 U.S.C. § 1965.
33. Exercise of jurisdiction over Bill Scherer is appropriate in this District
because he conducts extensive business activities within this State. Scherer has
systematically and purposefully availed himself of the Alabama forum by
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instituting and participating in litigation against Drummond in this District since
2009. He is presently admitted pro hac vice in the federal courts of Alabama as
counsel of record in Baloco (since April 10, 2009) and in Balcero (since June 18,
2009). As Managing Partner of Conrad & Scherer and counsel of record in these
fraudulent cases against Drummond, Scherer substantially directed and participated
in a massive and multifaceted campaign of fraud and extortion, the effects of
which were intended to be and were in fact felt, and continue to be felt, in the
United States and Alabama in particular, by Drummond, a known Alabama
resident. Through his agents and co-conspirators, Scherer has transacted and
continues to transact business in this State, and there is a substantial nexus between
Scherer’s purposeful availment of the Alabama forum and Drummond’s claims.
Scherer’s co-conspirators and agents have also engaged in wrongful and illegal
acts in the United States and in Alabama. Scherer was aware of the effects in
Alabama of those acts, which were for the benefit of Scherer, and his co-
conspirators and agents were working at the direction, under the control, at the
request, and/or on behalf of Scherer in committing those acts. Personal jurisdiction
over Scherer is proper under 18 U.S.C. § 1965.
34. Exercise of jurisdiction over IRAdvocates is appropriate in this
District because IRAdvocates conducts extensive business activities within this
State. Collingsworth, Levesque, and Leete are all agents of IRAdvocates and have
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had extensive contacts with this State in connection with their litigation against
Drummond, including numerous trips to Alabama in furtherance of their
extortionate schemes. IRAdvocates has taken an active role in the litigation
against Drummond in Alabama, including contacting witnesses, gathering
evidence, providing “collaborating attorneys” to assist in the litigation and as the
provider of email services to Collingsworth and others involved in developing the
cases against Drummond. Additionally, IRAdvocates is part of a massive and
multifaceted fraudulent campaign to extort money from Drummond, a known
Alabama resident. Through its agents and co-conspirators, IRAdvocates has
transacted and continues to transact business in this State, and there is a substantial
nexus between IRAdvocates’ purposeful availment of the Alabama forum and
Drummond’s claims. IRAdvocates’ co-conspirators and agents have also engaged
in wrongful and illegal acts in the United States and in Alabama. IRAdvocates was
aware of the effects in Alabama of those acts, which were for the benefit of
IRAdvocates, and its co-conspirators and agents were working at the direction,
under the control, at the request, and/or on behalf of IRAdvocates in committing
those acts. Many of Collingsworth’s emails directing these witness payments
related to the Alabama litigation were sent from Collingsworth’s IRAdvocates
email address and, upon information and belief, therefore through IRAdvocates’
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email server. Personal jurisdiction over IRAdvocates is proper under 18 U.S.C. §
1965.
35. Exercise of jurisdiction over Ramirez is proper pursuant to 18 U.S.C.
§ 1965(b) & (d) and Ala. R. Civ. P. 4.2. Upon information and belief, Ramirez
maintains a residence in New York. Ramirez has also transacted business and
engaged in illegal acts in the United States and Alabama which give rise, in part, to
Drummond’s claims. For example, Ramirez has (i) met with the co-defendants
and co-conspirators in the United States, and in Alabama, to plan and execute their
fraudulent scheme to extort Drummond; (ii) assisted the co-defendants in funneling
money to witnesses in Colombia which was sent by the co-defendants from the
United States to Ramirez, or his employees or agents, in Colombia; (iii) assisted
the co-defendants in obtaining false testimony against Drummond, and did so with
full knowledge that it would be submitted in court proceedings in Alabama; (iv)
received thousands of dollars in payments from his co-defendants in the United
States which he used to further their multifaceted and extortionate campaign
against Drummond; (v) caused to be filed in the Northern District of Alabama
three fraudulent actions against Drummond (Baloco, Balcero and Melo); (vi)
entered into contractual agreements with co-defendants Collingsworth and Conrad
& Scherer entitling Ramirez to contingency fees in at least Baloco and Balcero;
(vii) participated in or directed numerous phone calls, emails and other forms of
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communications with the other RICO defendants and co-conspirators in the United
States for the purpose of planning and carrying out their conspiracy and
extortionate scheme; (viii) participated in and orchestrated campaigns in the United
States designed to fraudulently influence government officials and the media for
the purpose of extorting money from Drummond. Ramirez committed his illegal
and wrongful acts with the purposeful intent that the effects of his acts be felt in
the United States, and Alabama in particular, by Drummond, a known Alabama
resident. Ramirez’s co-conspirators and agents have also engaged in wrongful and
illegal acts in the United States and in Alabama. Ramirez was aware of the effects
in Alabama of those acts, which were for the benefit of Ramirez, and his co-
conspirators and agents were working at the direction, under the control, at the
request, and/or on behalf of Ramirez in committing those acts.
36. Exercise of jurisdiction over Ivan Otero is proper pursuant to 18
U.S.C. § 1965(b) & (d) and Ala. R. Civ. P. 4.2. Otero has transacted business and
engaged in illegal acts in the United States and Alabama which give rise, in part, to
Drummond’s claims. For example, Otero has (i)
(ii)
assisted the co-defendants in obtaining false testimony against Drummond, and did
so with full knowledge that it would be submitted in court proceedings in
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Alabama; (iii) received thousands of dollars in payments from his co-defendants in
the United States which he used to further their multifaceted and extortionate
campaign against Drummond; (iv) caused to be filed in the Northern District of
Alabama three fraudulent actions against Drummond (Baloco, Balcero and Melo);
(v) entered into contractual agreements with co-defendant Collingsworth and
Conrad & Scherer entitling Otero to contingency fees in at least Baloco and
Balcero; (vi) participated in or directed numerous phone calls, emails and other
forms of communications with the other RICO defendants and co-conspirators in
the United States for the purpose of planning and carrying out their conspiracy and
extortionate scheme; (vii) appeared as counsel for witnesses in trial testimony
taken for and submitted in Balcero, an action pending in federal court in
Birmingham, Alabama; and (viii) on November 7, 2013 and March 5, 2015,
submitted false declarations in judicial proceedings in the Northern District of
Alabama in an effort to fraudulently conceal the scope and nature of the RICO
Defendants’ payments to witnesses. Otero committed his illegal and wrongful acts
with the purposeful intent that the effects of his acts be felt in the United States,
and Alabama in particular, by Drummond, a known Alabama resident. Otero’s co-
conspirators and agents have also engaged in wrongful and illegal acts in the
United States and in Alabama. Otero was aware of the effects in Alabama of those
acts, which were for the benefit of Otero, and his co-conspirators and agents were
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working at the direction, under the control, at the request, and/or on behalf of Otero
in committing those acts.
37. Exercise of jurisdiction over Albert van Bilderbeek is proper pursuant
to 18 U.S.C. § 1965(b) & (d) and Ala. R. Civ. P. 4.2. Albert van Bilderbeek is a
U.S. citizen and has transacted business and engaged in illegal acts, many of which
occurred in the United States and which give rise, in part, to Drummond’s claims.
For example, Albert van Bilderbeek has (i)
(ii) assisted the co-defendants in
obtaining false testimony against Drummond, and did so with full knowledge that
it would be submitted in court proceedings in Alabama; (iii) entered into a
contractual agreement with co-defendant Collingsworth to pursue fraudulent
claims against Drummond, a known Alabama resident, relating to oil and gas
rights in Colombia; (iv) participated in or directed numerous phone calls, emails
and other forms of communications with the other RICO defendants and co-
conspirators in the United States for the purpose of planning and carrying out their
conspiracy and extortionate scheme; (v) participated in and orchestrated media
campaigns in Europe designed to fraudulently influence government officials and
the media for the purpose of extorting money from Drummond. Albert van
Bilderbeek committed his illegal and wrongful acts with the purposeful intent that
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the effects of his acts be felt in the United States, and Alabama in particular, by
Drummond, a known Alabama resident. Albert van Bilderbeek’s co-conspirators
and agents have also engaged in wrongful and illegal acts in the United States and
in Alabama. Albert van Bilderbeek was aware of the effects in Alabama of those
acts, which were for the benefit of van Bilderbeek, and his co-conspirators and
agents were working at the direction, under the control, at the request, and/or on
behalf of van Bilderbeek in committing those acts.
VI. FACTUAL ALLEGATIONS
THE LITIGATION AGAINST DRUMMOND
General Summary
38. Collingsworth is an American plaintiffs’ attorney who, between 2002
and 2009, was admitted pro hac vice in Alabama in five lawsuits alleging
Drummond had paid paramilitaries in Colombia to murder three Colombian union
leaders. After consolidation, these lawsuits (hereinafter collectively referred to as
“Romero”) resulted in a dismissal in favor of Drummond Company and a jury
verdict in favor of the remaining defendants, including Drummond Ltd., in 2007.
The judgment in favor of Drummond was affirmed on appeal and became final on
February 26, 2009. Less than 30 days later, Collingsworth filed another lawsuit
against Drummond (Baloco), claiming yet again that Drummond paid
paramilitaries in Colombia to murder the same three Colombian union leaders.
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Two months after that, Collingsworth filed another lawsuit against Drummond
(Balcero), this time claiming Drummond paid paramilitaries to murder scores of
innocent Colombians living along the rail line that transports coal from the
Colombian Mine to the coast where it is loaded for shipment to overseas
customers. Collingsworth was admitted pro hac vice in Alabama for both Baloco
and Balcero, and those admissions remain active today. Both Baloco and Balcero
resulted in dismissals in favor of Drummond, and both were affirmed by the
Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals. Shortly before the last of the above-referenced
cases was dismissed, Collingsworth filed yet another case (Melo), which awaits
ruling on Drummond’s motion to dismiss.
Romero
39. On March 14, 2002, Collingsworth, who was then the general counsel
for a group called the International Labor Rights Fund, filed a lawsuit against
Drummond falsely alleging Drummond had paid Colombian paramilitaries to
murder three leaders of the dominant labor union at the Colombian Mine: Valmore
Locarno, Victor Hugo Orcasita and Gustavo Soler. In his attempts to prosecute
these false claims, Collingsworth teamed up with Daniel Kovalik, general counsel
of the United Steelworkers of America, and Francisco Ramirez, then the president
of a Colombian mineworkers’ union.
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40. Collingsworth and his team spent the next several years attempting,
unsuccessfully, to substantiate their false claims against Drummond. Drummond
was ultimately dismissed at summary judgment on March 5, 2007. The remaining
claims against Drummond’s Colombian subsidiary and its president were tried
before an Alabama jury in July 2007, resulting in a complete defense verdict.
The Enterprise Begins to Take Shape
41. Shortly before the Romero verdict, Collingsworth formed
IRAdvocates. According to its website, IRAdvocates is supposedly a not-for-profit
entity “focused on litigation against US corporations for human rights violations
committed abroad, principally under the Alien Tort Statute (ATS).” As
Collingsworth once described his activities, he uses the ATS to “chase
corporations around” and file claims on behalf of aliens for alleged human rights
violations. In June 2007, Collingsworth hosted a “launch party” for IRAdvocates
in order to solicit funds for their “human rights” litigation. The invitation stated
that without donated funds, “IRAdvocates will not be able to continue their
litigation work here and abroad.” This invitation was sent via email by Mr.
Collingsworth to a list of “Friends,” one of whom was Steven Donziger. Mr.
Donziger is another “human rights” lawyer who was recently found responsible for
perpetrating what the Wall Street Journal described as “arguably the greatest legal
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fraud in history”3—an Ecuadorian judgment against Chevron which a New York
federal judge determined was procured by fraud and bribery. Chevron Corp. v.
Donziger, 974 F. Supp. 2d 362 (S.D.N.Y. 2014).
42. The Romero verdict in July 2007 came as a crushing blow to
Collingsworth and his Colombian union collaborators, including Francisco
Ramirez. Following the verdict, Ramirez told the Miami Herald, “We’re just
getting started. . . . We are going to multiply our efforts to start a boycott. It’s the
only way to get justice in this case.”
43. Multiply their efforts they did. After the vindication of Drummond by
an Alabama court, Defendants began a multifaceted campaign to destroy
Drummond, and procure a fraudulent financial windfall, using, inter alia, three
fraudulent lawsuits, media campaigns in the U.S., Colombia and Europe, and
multiple unions and activist groups, to spread the false message that Drummond
was complicit with a terrorist organization in the murders of hundreds of
Colombians. In an effort to bolster these claims, the Enterprise funneled hundreds
of thousands of dollars to Colombian criminals, their families, and their lawyers.
Based on information uncovered to date, the payments exceed $
44. But after the failure of Romero, Collingsworth and Ramirez needed to
find new financial backing for their fraudulent and extortionate campaign. Upon
3 Available at http://www.wsj.com/articles/a-tort-mercenary-recants-1424220191.
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information and belief, Romero was funded by the United Steelworkers and certain
plaintiffs’ attorneys, none of whom apparently desired or were able to fund
additional baseless litigation against Drummond. Collingsworth found a willing
partner in the Florida law firm of Conrad & Scherer and its managing partner, Bill
Scherer. Collingsworth joined Conrad & Scherer as a partner at the beginning of
2008, and, with their financial support and funds from IRAdvocates, began
manufacturing new cases to bring against Drummond. According to IRAdvocates’
website:
In February, 2008, IRAdvocates formed an important partnership with a private law firm, Conrad & Scherer. One of the founding partners of that firm, William Scherer, had collaborated on human rights cases with IRAdvocates and decided to become fully involved in the pursuit of justice in the global economy. The central component of the agreement is that Conrad & Scherer funds all U.S. litigation costs for the ATS cases, freeing IRAdvocates to use its resources to support fact finding in the countries where the violations occur and to train and support local lawyers who collaborate with us on the litigation. Based on this arrangement, 100% of any funds raised by IRAdvocates goes to the field to help local human rights advocates and lawyers perform their crucial role in these cases.
45. As discussed in more detail below, the Enterprise’s members on the
ground in Colombia did indeed play a “crucial role” – they served as conduits for
hundreds of thousands of dollars to be paid to witnesses, their families, and their
criminal lawyers.
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46. In 2008, the Enterprise’s agents “in the field” in Colombia included:
Francisco Ramirez; Conrad & Scherer employee Rebecca Pendleton (who at some
point became Ramirez’s wife); Yineth (a/k/a Yina or Gina) Baeza, assistant to
Ramirez and secretary for Conrad & Scherer in Colombia; and Ricardo Garzon,
Colombian “field attorney” for IRAdvocates and Conrad & Scherer. As described
more fully below, these individuals participated in recruiting plaintiffs for
Defendants’ fraudulent lawsuits, and facilitating payments to witnesses to support
the lawsuits.
The Enterprise’s Way of Doing “Business”
47. The Enterprise has pursued numerous multinational corporations in
lawsuits premised on allegations of collaboration with Colombian paramilitaries.
According to the IRAdvocates website, the Enterprise is currently pressing such
claims against Dole Food Company, Inc., Occidental Petroleum Corporation,
Chiquita Brands International, and BP, plc. Evidence discovered to date suggests
that the Enterprise’s fraudulent practices and witness payment schemes permeate
all of their cases in Colombia. Indeed, Collingsworth and Conrad & Scherer have
claimed that paying Colombian witnesses and their families to procure testimony is
an integral part of their business plan and strategy.
48. For example, according to testimony provided by Collingsworth, he
made a cash payment to “a witness against Dole” to provide facts concerning
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“Dole’s presence and operations in Colombia’s banana zone.” The witness
insisted the payment be made in cash so that there would be “no record of the
transaction.” After this payment was discovered by Drummond, Collingsworth
claimed it was a “fee” for an “expert.” Although the details of this payment and
who it was made to are still being investigated, Collingsworth has recently
revealed he has discussed an arrangement with Raul Hasbun—a paramilitary
leader and one of the primary witnesses against both Dole and Chiquita—whereby
Hasbun could be retained and paid as an “expert.”
49. Furthermore, Drummond has discovered an email between
Collingsworth and other lawyers pursuing claims against Chiquita wherein
Collingsworth advocated for the payment of Colombian witnesses’ criminal legal
fees, stating it was ethical to do so but the “question is doing so in a way to
minimize impact on credibility.” Perhaps anticipating resistance from his fellow
lawyers to the concept of providing such a financial benefit to fact witnesses,
Collingsworth stated, “For those reluctant, tell me how else we get truthful
evidence of an AUC-Chiquita discussion.”
50. Accordingly, the Enterprise’s schemes to corruptly influence
Colombian witnesses are many. However, Drummond has been the most frequent
target of the Enterprise’s fraudulent and criminal methods.
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The Manufacture and Filing of the Fraudulent Litigation Against Drummond Following the Romero Verdict
51. After the jury verdict in Romero, Collingsworth and his “team” began
preparing for new lawsuits. They began recruiting numerous Colombian villagers
for what would become Balcero, a suit alleging Drummond collaborated with
paramilitaries resulting in the murders of hundreds of innocent civilians along the
Colombian rail line. They organized mass meetings (some including as many as
150 people), encouraging potential plaintiffs to join a lawsuit against Drummond
that would be filed in the United States. Upon information and belief, most of
these meetings were organized and conducted by, among others, Yineth Baeza and
Ricardo Garzon. Many of these potential plaintiffs had never even heard of
Drummond before being approached by members of the Enterprise, and had never
considered Drummond to be responsible for the deaths or disappearances of their
relatives.
52. The Enterprise also began manufacturing evidence for the new cases,
scouring Colombian prisons for anyone willing to give false testimony against
Drummond.
53. One of the first “witnesses” they found was Jairo Jesus Charris Castro
(“Charris”). In April 2008, Drummond Ltd. received an extortionate email
purportedly from Charris (Charris in later testimony denied writing the email).
The email stated that Charris was wanted by Colombian authorities in connection
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with the murders of the Drummond union leaders, and that “the union” was
offering him money and relocation from Colombia if he would state that
Drummond was complicit in the union leaders’ murders. Drummond immediately
turned this email over to the Colombian Fiscalia (Colombia’s equivalent to the
U.S. Attorney’s Office), and upon information and belief this led to the ultimate
arrest of Charris in or around July 2008.
54. After his arrest, Charris gave a deposition to the Fiscalia on July 16
and 17, 2008, wherein he testified he had no knowledge of Drummond having
collaborated with the AUC or having any involvement in the union leader killings.
55. But in that same month, Collingsworth or a member of his “team”
began meeting with Charris. After these meetings, the “testimony” of Charris
began changing dramatically. At some point, an agreement was made to make
monthly payments to the family of Charris. Based on information uncovered to
date, the payments date back to at least July 2009, just before Charris signed a
declaration for Collingsworth and his “team” claiming that Drummond was
complicit in the murders of the union leaders. The payments to Charris
and his shifting “testimony” are detailed more fully in
paragraphs 67 through 77 below.
56. Toward the end of 2008, in order to obtain additional fraudulent
testimony, the Enterprise added another member: Ivan Alfredo Otero. Otero is a
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Colombian criminal attorney based in Valledupar who at the time was representing
numerous Colombian paramilitaries. Two of his paramilitary clients were Alcides
Mattos Tabares (“Samario”) and Jhon Jairo Esquivel Cuadrado (“El Tigre”).
These two individuals were incarcerated in Colombia and participating in the
Justice and Peace program, a peace agreement reached between the government of
Colombia and the AUC whereby the AUC agreed to disband and turn themselves
in to authorities in exchange for a substantially reduced prison sentence—a
maximum of eight years. Eligibility for this reduced sentence was conditioned on
the paramilitary member’s admission of his crimes, reparations to victims, and
provision of truthful testimony in the course of the Justice and Peace program,
which included public hearings at which victims could attend.
57. As of the end of 2008, both El Tigre and Samario had testified
numerous times in the Justice and Peace process and never once claimed to have
any knowledge regarding Drummond. But in or around November of 2008,
Collingsworth approached their lawyer, Otero, and promised him a contingency
fee in any civil judgment against Drummond.
. Upon information and belief, Otero
was also promised contingency fees in Collingsworth’s other cases involving
Colombian paramilitaries pending against Dole Foods and Chiquita Brands
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International. Collingsworth has testified Otero is a member of his “legal team” in
those cases.
58. After Otero joined the Enterprise, both El Tigre and Samario began
promising “testimony” against Drummond. Their “testimony” for Collingsworth,
however, was irreconcilable with testimony they provided to Colombian
authorities.
59. With new plaintiffs recruited, and the “testimony” of at least Charris,
El Tigre and Samario arranged, Collingsworth and Conrad & Scherer filed the
Balcero suit in May 2009, alleging that Drummond paid substantial sums of money
to the AUC, characterized as “security” payments, and that Drummond was
complicit in the murders of “hundreds, or even thousands,” of Colombian civilians.
Ironically, it is now known that Collingsworth and Conrad & Scherer (and their
Enterprise) were the ones making substantial payments to paramilitary members,
and they attempted to justify many of these payments as “security” payments.
60. As stated above in paragraph 38, Baloco, a second case based on the
murders of the three Drummond union leaders, was filed in March 2009, shortly
after the Romero decision was affirmed on appeal. The Enterprise filed this case
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on behalf of the children of the union leaders, and attempted to avoid the
application of res judicata by fraudulently contending the children were not parties
to Romero. This was irrefutably false, as the children were identified as plaintiffs
in one of the Romero complaints. Furthermore, in the email invitation to the
IRAdvocates “launch party” referenced in paragraph 41 above, Collingsworth
solicited funds to for use in the Romero trial, stating, “We represent the widows
and children of the slain leaders.” (Emphasis added). Nevertheless,
Collingsworth obtained and submitted to the federal court in Alabama false
declarations from the mothers of these children in which they testified that the
children were never intended to be parties to Romero. Both the federal court in
Alabama and the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals agreed that these declarations
were a “sham.”
The Enterprise Secures Additional Financing
61. Despite IRAdvocates’ representation on its website that “Conrad &
Scherer funds all U.S. litigation costs” for its cases, the Enterprise, including its
payments to witnesses, was not only funded by Conrad & Scherer. In or around
late 2009, Collingsworth and Bill Scherer approached the law firm of Parker,
Waichman and Alonso, LLP (now Parker Waichman, LLP) regarding providing
financing for the fraudulent lawsuits against Drummond, as well as ATS cases
against other corporations. Upon information and belief, Parker Waichman’s
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funds were used by the Enterprise to pay witnesses, their families, and/or their
criminal lawyers.
62. The Enterprise also solicited financial assistance from Albert van
Bilderbeek, a principal of Llanos Oil. Llanos Oil previously sued Drummond in
2005 claiming its oil rights in Colombia were “stolen” by Drummond, and that
Drummond conspired with the Colombian government to have Hendrik van
Bilderbeek—the brother of Albert and another principal of Llanos Oil—
imprisoned in Colombia on suspicion of money laundering and involvement with
Colombian drug-traffickers. Llanos Oil’s lawsuit against Drummond was
dismissed approximately 6 months after it was filed.
63. By at least early 2010, Collingsworth and Albert van Bilderbeek
began working together on a plan to, in Collingsworth’s words, “clos[e] down
Drummond.” On May 3, 2010, Collingsworth and Albert van Bilderbeek entered
into a contingency fee agreement which provided that Collingsworth would receive
33% of any recovery against Drummond in connection with oil and gas rights
allegedly taken from Llanos Oil. The agreement stated that Collingsworth had
been providing legal advice on this issue for approximately four months prior to
the date of the agreement.
64. On June 29, 2010, Collingsworth and Albert van Bilderbeek discussed
media coverage of Collingsworth’s allegations against Drummond, and strategized
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on ways to garner additional media coverage with the Dutch press. During the
course of these discussions, Collingsworth informed Albert van Bilderbeek, “I look
forward to meeting and together closing down Drummond.” (Emphasis added).
65. Over the next several months, Collingsworth worked with Albert van
Bilderbeek in attempting to secure funding for the Enterprise’s fraudulent litigation
against Drummond, as well as spreading the false allegations of Drummond’s
complicity with the AUC throughout Europe. As described in more detail below,
The Payments and Other Unlawful Inducements to Witnesses
66. During the discovery process in the Balcero case—the only of the
three fraudulent lawsuits following Romero to have made it through discovery—
Collingsworth used the letters rogatory process to take trial testimony in Colombia
of six incarcerated “witnesses” that claimed Drummond had ties to the AUC: Jairo
Jesus Charris Castro (“Charris”); Alcides Mattos Tabares (“Samario”); Jhon Jairo
Esquivel Cuadrado (“El Tigre”); Libardo Duarte (“Duarte”); Jaime Blanco
(“Blanco”); and Jose del Carmen Gelvez Albarracin (“Gelvez”).
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Charris
67. As stated above, Charris was arrested in July 2008, and testified
before Colombian authorities that he knew of no connection between Drummond
and any illegal groups.
68. Shortly after his arrest, however, members of the Enterprise began
meeting with Charris, and his testimony began to change.
69. Based on information uncovered to date, Charris began receiving
payments by at least July of 2009. On July 30, 2009, Collingsworth authorized a
wire transfer of 3,000,000 Colombian pesos for the benefit of Charris and his
family. That single payment was more than five times the average monthly
household income in Colombia. The payment was made by Ricardo Garzon (a
Colombian “field attorney” for IRAdvocates and Conrad & Scherer) to a member
or friend of Charris’s family by making a deposit into her bank account.
Collingsworth approved this payment, and upon information and belief the funds
to make this payment originated in the United States bank account of Conrad &
Scherer and were sent to Garzon using United States and international wires. A
few days after this payment was made, Charris signed a declaration typed for him
by Collingsworth’s team.
70. In that declaration, Charris falsely alleged Drummond’s involvement
with the union leader killings. But Charris made no claim that Drummond made
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any sort of regular or ongoing payments to the AUC, or that Drummond had any
collaboration with the AUC outside the specific context of the union leader
killings. This testimony, too, would change after Charris and his family were
provided tens of thousands of dollars in payments by the Enterprise.
71. After the first known payment, the remainder of the payments were
made directly to Charris’s wife, Claudia Elena Pinzon, on a monthly basis from
September 2009
The monthly
payments discovered thus far are for approximately 1.5 million Colombian pesos
each (more than 2.5 times the average monthly household income in Colombia for
2009), and to date have been ongoing for more than four years.
72. The first two deposits into the bank account of Charris’s wife were
made by Ricardo Garzon, but thereafter all such deposits were made by Yineth
Baeza. Based on information known to date, virtually all, if not all, of these
payments were made by a member of the Enterprise in the United States
withdrawing cash from a United States bank account, and sending a wire through
MoneyGram or Western Union to Baeza in Colombia who would then deposit the
money into the account of Charris’s wife.
73. From at least July 2009 to January 2012, the payments were
effectuated by a cash withdrawal from the Conrad & Scherer bank account in
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Florida, and a Conrad & Scherer employee taking that money to Western Union or
MoneyGram to wire it down to Colombia, where Baeza would then deposit it into
the account of Charris’s wife. In February 2012, however, the process changed.
From then onward,
an employee of Conrad & Scherer’s
Washington, D.C. office would withdraw cash , wire
it to Colombia via Western Union or MoneyGram, where the money could then be
deposited by Baeza into the account of Charris’s wife.
74. On May 16 and 17, 2012, Charris gave his trial testimony in Balcero
via the letters rogatory process. Drummond and its counsel traveled to Colombia,
and Charris was transferred by the authorities to a Colombian courthouse to give
this testimony. In the months leading up to this testimony Drummond had inquired
in the discovery process about anything of value offered or given to Charris, and
the federal district court in Alabama had ordered this information to be disclosed.
Despite this, the Enterprise fraudulently concealed the payments, and Charris’s
trial testimony was taken without Drummond knowing or being able to question
Charris about the thousands of dollars he had been paid.
75. During his May 2012 trial testimony, Ivan Otero appeared as
Charris’s counsel, and, in addition to Collingsworth, Lorraine Leete (of
IRAdvocates) appeared as counsel for the Balcero plaintiffs. Between the time of
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his false declaration in September 2009, and the taking of his trial testimony in
May 2012, the Enterprise paid Charris and his family more than 51,000,000 pesos,
which, depending on the exchange rate used, is anywhere from approximately
$25,000 to $29,000.
76. In May 2012, Charris’s testimony changed once again. At the time of
Charris’s initial false declaration, the Enterprise had not yet secured false
declarations from El Tigre or Jaime Blanco, but such declarations were obtained
prior to Charris’s trial testimony, and Charris changed his testimony to coincide
with that of El Tigre and Blanco.
77. A detailed description of the payments to Charris and his family
which have been discovered to date is provided in Appendix A, which is attached
to this Complaint and incorporated herein by reference. The funds originated from
Conrad & Scherer’s U.S. bank account, and Conrad & Scherer’s managing partner,
Bill Scherer, knew of and approved these payments. The Enterprise sent, or
caused to be sent, these payments by means of wire communication in interstate
and/or foreign commerce. The purpose of the payments was to corruptly secure
Charris’s false testimony against Drummond, which Charris provided in exchange
for these payments. The Enterprise utilized the resulting false, paid-for testimony
in official proceedings against Drummond to corruptly influence, obstruct, and
impede the due administration of justice in federal district court in Alabama and to
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further their overarching fraudulent and multifaceted criminal campaign to extort
money from Drummond and otherwise damage its business interests. Each one of
these payments violates 18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud), 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness
bribery), 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering), 18 U.S.C. § 1503
(obstruction of justice), and 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering).
El Tigre and Samario
78. El Tigre is a mass murdering paramilitary who was captured by
Colombian authorities and imprisoned in July 2000. Ivan Otero served as El
Tigre’s criminal attorney. Otero also represented other paramilitaries, including
Samario, who is also a mass murdering paramilitary who has been incarcerated in
Colombia since 2005.
79. Otero has been linked to bribery, corruption, and threats which are
rampant throughout the proceedings involving Colombian paramilitaries.
According to an article by Cambio, documents discovered on property owned by
Jorge 40, a top leader of the AUC, implicated “attorneys Guillermo Rafael Luna
Arroyo and Iván Otero, in the handling of payments of substantial ‘extra attorney
fees’ to get six important members of the north block network [of the AUC] out of
the Santa Marta prison.” Cambio described it as a “bribe and corruption story.”
80. The Colombian media outlet Verdad Abierta reported in September
2009 that Ivan Otero was being accused of intimidating victims and pressuring
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other paramilitaries at a Justice and Peace hearing to alter their testimony to
conform with that of his clients, El Tigre and Samario. According to Verdad
Abierta, it was said that Ivan Otero “pressured [two paramilitaries] to make their
confessions . . . agree with those of ‘El Tigre’ and ‘Samario.’” Verdad Abierta
further reported that due to changing testimonies, “[t]he victims no longer have
much trust in the voluntary declarations of ‘El Tigre,’” and that:
The contradictions could mean the exclusion of ‘El Tigre’ from Justice and Peace, since, according to the attorneys of the victims, the former leader of the Northern Block is not committed to the truth. In addition, Iván Otero, the defense attorney of the demobilized personnel of the Northern Block [of the AUC] could be accused of false testimony and procedural fraud . . . .
81. After the Justice and Peace Process began in Colombia, El Tigre
testified numerous times in that process between 2007 and 2009, and never once
mentioned anything about Drummond having involvement with paramilitaries.
Similarly, leading up to 2009, Samario had never claimed to have knowledge of
Drummond having any connection with the AUC.
82. But, as explained above, in late 2008 Collingsworth met with Otero
and promised him a substantial contingency fee in the civil cases pending against
Drummond in Alabama.
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83. Sometime in late 2008 or early 2009, Otero and Collingsworth
approached El Tigre and Samario about providing “testimony” against Drummond.
Both El Tigre and Samario ultimately signed false declarations for Otero and
Collingsworth in December 2009 claiming to have knowledge of Drummond’s
links to the AUC.
84. In his declaration, Samario falsely claimed to have extensive
knowledge regarding Drummond’s complicity in the murders of the three union
leaders. But just eleven days prior to signing this false declaration, Samario
testified at a Justice and Peace hearing regarding these very murders. He was
specifically asked whether he knew why the murders occurred, how they were
planned, and who cooperated, and testified he was not aware of whether
Drummond had anything to do with the killings.
85. Just two months after El Tigre signed his declaration for the
Enterprise, falsely claiming Drummond had ties to the AUC, he, too, provided
testimony to the Colombian authorities. He testified, under oath, that he had no
knowledge whatsoever of Drummond having anything to do with paramilitaries:
ASKED: Please state if you found out or if you realized about a possible infiltration, of members of the self-defenses from the Northern Block in DRUMMOND. In case it is affirmative, what do you know in this respect? ANSWERED: I never knew nor was I ever told to look for an approach with that company. Our objective was to fight subversion. ASKED: Please state if you found out about a possible indulgence, permissiveness, cooperation, liking or sympathy of the managers or workers
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from DRUMMOND with members of the self-defenses of the Northern Block. In case it is affirmative, what do you know in this respect? ANSWERED: Never did I personally receive money or logistics from that company; on the contrary, we were financed by installments from the cattlemen[] and for that, there was a financier in charge, a retired captain from the SIPOL by the name of WILSON POSADA. He was the one who coordinated the actions and the coordinator who was at the head was Mr. SANTIAGO TOBON. I never had anything to do with the finance issues. My activity was the military action against the subversion. I never had any meeting with DRUMMOND nor do I know them. I know that such company exists because when I was at the head, they told me where it was located, and the military forces protected it. … ASKED BY THE DEFENSE MR. AUGUSTO JIMENEZ: Under oath, please say in simple and precise manner if during the time that you were in command of self-defense groups, was there any relation or link of any nature with DRUMMOND or its executives AUGUSTO JIMENEZ, GARRY DRUMMOND and ALFREDO ARAUJO? ANSWERED: At no moment have I heard or have I had any knowledge that there have been links of that company or of the persons mentioned in the question with the Self-Defenses. I have not heard about them whether outside or being in prison.
86.
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88. In March 2012, both El Tigre and Samario gave their trial testimony
in Balcero via the letters rogatory process. Drummond and its counsel traveled to
Colombia, and each paramilitary was transferred by the authorities from their
respective prison to a Colombian courthouse to give this testimony. Francisco
Ramirez appeared as an attorney for the Balcero plaintiffs at the testimony of
Samario. Collingsworth and Lorraine Leete (of IRAdvocates) appeared as counsel
for the plaintiffs at both paramilitaries’ testimonies.
89.
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Jaime Blanco
90. Between 1996 and 2001, Blanco was an independent food services
contractor for the Colombian Mine, providing meals to the workers. Leading up to
the murders of the three union leaders, workers at the Colombian Mine were
threatening to strike due to the poor quality of the food. After the murders, it was
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widely speculated that Blanco was behind the murders. Blanco was terminated as
a contractor following the murders.
91. Blanco was arrested in September 2010 in connection with the
murders, and he provided testimony to the Colombian authorities. He testified,
under oath, that Charris (who had been a bodyguard for Blanco and had told the
authorities Blanco was involved in the murders) was an extortionist. He also
testified that he never met anyone named El Tigre, he had no prior knowledge of
the deaths of the union leaders, and he had no knowledge of Drummond being
involved with the deaths of the union leaders. He was also asked specifically about
claims that his food services company was used to funnel money to paramilitaries,
and testified that this was “something that is absolutely false and accounting-wise
impossible. It is what we call a numerical reality.”
92. At the end of his testimony, Blanco informed the Colombian
authorities that money was being offered to paramilitaries to give false testimony
for a civil case against Drummond in the United States:
I want to state before Mr. Prosecutor with all due respect that a lot of interests are moving with respect to this issue since the only objective of this moment is to link DRUMMOND to a civil proceeding so that a proceeding be reopened in the United States, the proceeding that had already been closed. It is merely a financial interest. It would be good that the Office of the Prosecutor would look into the labor unions, NGOs4 and a large
4 “NGO” stands for Non-Governmental Organization. For example, IRAdvocates is an
NGO.
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amount of lawyers who are offering money to these demobilized groups that are in precarious financial conditions so that they say what they want to hear or say.
93. A few months later, in February 2011, Collingsworth—who is a
lawyer affiliated with unions and is the executive director of the NGO
IRAdvocates—began meeting with Blanco in prison. Lorraine Leete of
IRAdvocates was present for at least one meeting. In order to gain access to
Blanco in prison, both Leete and Collingsworth misrepresented to Colombian
authorities that they were “amigos” (friends) of Blanco. Otero was also involved
in these meetings, and according to Blanco’s testimony in Balcero, Otero began
representing Blanco as his attorney.
94. Collingsworth began ingratiating himself with Blanco, asking Blanco
to provide testimony against Drummond while at the same time offering assistance
with Collingsworth’s “contacts with the people in Washington” (presumably the
U.S. authorities). Collingsworth told Blanco that Drummond was trying to pin the
union murders on him, According to
testimony by Collingsworth, at some point Blanco requested assistance with his
criminal legal fees. The federal court in Alabama has since described this
discussion of a “$100,000 criminal defense fee” as “troubling.”
95. Desiring to meet Blanco’s request, Collingsworth first turned to
Parker Waichman—who was at that point providing significant funding for the
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fraudulent lawsuits—asking for the money to pay to Blanco. According to
testimony by Collingsworth, Blanco wanted money for his criminal legal fees, and
Collingsworth informed Parker Waichman that if they did not provide assistance
he was concerned that Blanco would continue to testify, as he had already, that
Drummond had no role in the union leader killings. Collingsworth testified that
Parker Waichman declined his request to provide assistance to Blanco.
96.
97.
98.
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99. Blanco signed a declaration for the Enterprise
falsely accusing Drummond of being complicit in the union leader killings, as well
as providing regular payments to the AUC through Blanco’s food services
company. Blanco claimed that these regular payments were made by him directly
to El Tigre from mid-1997 through the time of El Tigre’s capture in July 2000.
This is irreconcilable with El Tigre’s testimony that the first time he ever met
Blanco was in March 2000.
100.
101. In April and May 2012, Blanco gave his trial testimony in Balcero via
the letters rogatory process. Drummond and its counsel traveled to Colombia, and
Blanco was transferred by the authorities from prison to a Colombian courthouse
to give this testimony. Otero appeared as counsel for Blanco. In addition to
Collingsworth, Lorraine Leete (of IRAdvocates) appeared as counsel for the
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Balcero plaintiffs.
102.
Blanco testified falsely and evasively, selectively invoking his
right against self-incrimination to avoid answering questions posed by
Drummond’s counsel.
103. Collingsworth, however, intentionally elicited perjured testimony
from Blanco,
The Enterprise had spent time with Blanco preparing him for his testimony, and
Collingsworth knew what the answer to the above question would be, and knew
that it would be false. At no point has Collingsworth or any member of the
Enterprise corrected Blanco’s testimony for the record.
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105. All members of the Enterprise present for Blanco’s testimony
(Collingsworth, Leete, and Otero)
knew his testimony was unequivocally false, but did nothing to correct
the record. Instead, they submitted Blanco’s false testimony to federal district
court in Alabama in support of their fraudulent lawsuits and as part of their
massive extortionate scheme.
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106.
107.
El Canoso
108. The Enterprise also corruptly secured the false testimony of
paramilitary Jose del Carmen Gelvez Albarracin (“El Canoso”). Between 2006
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and 2012, El Canoso testified at least six times in the Justice and Peace process,
and never once claimed Drummond had any connections to paramilitaries.
109. But sometime between December 2010 and February 2011, El Canoso
met Charris when they were incarcerated in the same prison. By that time,
Charris’s family had been receiving monthly payments from the Enterprise for
approximately a year-and-a-half.
110. Charris informed El Canoso that he had already provided a declaration
to the Enterprise, and offered to introduce him to Francisco Ramirez to provide
testimony against Drummond. El Canoso met with Ramirez in approximately
February 2011.
On November 21,
2011, El Canoso, too, signed a declaration typed for him by the Enterprise.
111. In that declaration, El Canoso did not claim to have much knowledge
about Drummond, given that during the relevant time period he was an employee
of Prodeco, a Colombian mining operation owned by the multinational natural
resources conglomerate Glencore plc. But the limited knowledge El Canoso
claimed to have regarding Drummond is objectively false. El Canoso claimed that
he attended a meeting with Drummond security officials during which Drummond
and Prodeco allegedly agreed to provide support to the paramilitaries. One of the
employees of Drummond Ltd. supposedly present was Luis Carlos Rodriguez.
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Although he did not specify the date of the meeting, El Canoso testified it was
during the time he was employed by Prodeco and his employment ended in 1997.
Luis Carlos Rodriguez did not begin working for Drummond Ltd. until November
of 1999, some two years later.
112. Within seven days of El Canoso signing this declaration, a wire
transfer in the amount of $2,084 was made from the Conrad & Scherer Operating
Account in the United States to the Colombian bank account of El Canoso’s wife.
113. In the months leading up to El Canoso’s trial testimony in Balcero,
which was taken in April 2012, Drummond inquired in the discovery process about
anything of value offered or given to El Canoso, and the federal district court in
Alabama ordered this information to be disclosed. Despite this, the Enterprise
fraudulently concealed the payments, and El Canoso’s trial testimony was taken
without Drummond knowing or being able to question him about the thousands of
dollars he had been paid.
114. In addition to Collingsworth, Lorraine Leete (of IRAdvocates)
appeared as counsel for the Balcero plaintiffs during El Canoso’s trial testimony.
Also present for the Enterprise was Yineth Baeza, assistant to Francisco Ramirez.
Collingsworth knowingly elicited perjured testimony from El Canoso, not only
about his allegations against Drummond, but also regarding the fact that he had
been paid. Collingsworth asked El Canoso what he hoped to gain by giving his
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“testimony,” and El Canoso falsely stated: “I’m not receiving any benefits,
financial benefits. I don’t need them. Since I come from a good family, a good
family of principles and it’s not money what makes me talk about this.”
115. All members of the Enterprise present for El Canoso’s testimony
(Collingsworth, Leete, and Baeza) knew his testimony was unequivocally false, but
did nothing to correct the record. Instead, they submitted El Canoso’s false
testimony to federal district court in Alabama in support of their fraudulent
lawsuits and as part of their massive extortionate scheme.
116. As described above, the Enterprise sent, or caused to be sent,
thousands of dollars of payments to El Canoso and his family by means of wire
communication in interstate and/or foreign commerce. The funds originated from
Conrad & Scherer’s U.S. bank account, and Conrad & Scherer’s managing partner,
Bill Scherer, knew of and approved these payments. The purpose of the payments
was to corruptly secure El Canoso’s false testimony against Drummond, which El
Canoso provided in exchange for these payments. The Enterprise utilized the
resulting false, paid-for testimony in official proceedings against Drummond to
corruptly influence, obstruct, and impede the due administration of justice in
federal district court in Alabama and to further their overarching fraudulent and
multifaceted criminal campaign to extort money from Drummond and otherwise
damage its business interests. The Enterprise’s conduct with respect to El Canoso
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violates 18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud), 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery), 18
U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering), 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of
justice), and 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering).
Libardo Duarte (a/k/a “Bam Bam”)
117. Duarte has been in Colombian prison since April 2006, when he
turned himself in claiming he was a member of the AUC and requesting the
reduced sentencing benefits of the Justice and Peace law available only to
paramilitaries. But the Head of the National Unit of Prosecutor Offices for Justice
and Peace has expressed doubt as to whether Duarte was ever a paramilitary. It is
known that numerous criminals have falsely claimed to be paramilitaries in an
effort to obtain the benefits of the Justice and Peace law. In fact, Otero recently
submitted a declaration to federal district court in Alabama in which he testified
that “a lot of drug dealers, seeing a chance to get reduced sentences, also took
advantage of the Justice and Peace program by claiming they too were AUC
members, even though they were not.”
118. On numerous occasions between 1997 through 2007, Duarte was
treated for drug addiction and alcoholism. One of the treatment centers that treated
Duarte has stated that he presented “behavior of a pathological liar and duplicity.”
The Supreme Court of Colombia, Criminal Appeals Panel has dismissed his
testimony as not credible, holding: “The declarer Libardo Duarte is not
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creditworthy, because nobody knows him and many of his statements are
unsustainable . . . .”
119. Collingsworth first began meeting with Duarte in January or February
2010, and was accompanied by Duarte’s Colombian criminal lawyer, Carlos Toro.
As of that time, although he had testified several times in connection with the
Justice and Peace process, Duarte had never claimed to have any knowledge
regarding Drummond.
120. The Enterprise communicated both with Duarte and Toro on
numerous occasions regarding obtaining “testimony” against Drummond.
121.
122. In February 2011, Duarte signed a declaration for the Enterprise. The
contents of this declaration are demonstrably false. For example, he claimed to
have arrived in the area of the Colombian Mine in 1998 or 1998, and that his “main
job was to patrol the roads of the area to make sure that the trucks carrying
Drummond’s coal to [the dock of] Prodeco, where it was loaded onto ships, was
safe.” But during the time period Duarte claimed to have been providing services
to Drummond protecting coal trucks, Drummond Ltd. transported its coal
exclusively by train. There were no Drummond coal trucks for Duarte to protect.
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Furthermore, Drummond has never used Prodeco’s port to ship coal or for any
other purpose.
123. Shortly after finalizing his false declaration, Duarte emailed Lorraine
Leete of IRAdvocates to provide the names and bank account information of two
women, who are apparently Duarte’s wives (it is unknown whether these two
women are all, or only some, of Duarte’s wives). On April 18, 2011, international
bank wires were sent from Conrad & Scherer’s bank account in the U.S. to the
Colombian bank accounts of Duarte’s wives ($2,500 for one, $5,000 for the other).
On April 29, 2011, another international bank wire was sent from Conrad &
Scherer’s bank account in the U.S. to the Colombian bank account of one of
Duarte’s wives in the amount of $2,500.
124. It is unknown what amount the Enterprise initially promised Duarte.
But after the transfers referenced in the above paragraph,
125.
126. On April 16 and May 23, 2012, Duarte gave his trial testimony in
Balcero via the letters rogatory process. Drummond and its counsel traveled to
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Colombia, and Duarte was transferred by the authorities from prison to a
Colombian courthouse to give this testimony. During this trial testimony, Carlos
Toro appeared as Duarte’s counsel, and, in addition to Collingsworth, Lorraine
Leete (of IRAdvocates) appeared as counsel for the Balcero plaintiffs. In the
months leading up to this testimony Drummond inquired in the discovery process
about anything of value offered or given to Duarte, and the federal district court in
Alabama ordered this information to be disclosed. Despite this, the Enterprise
fraudulently concealed the payments, and Duarte’s trial testimony was taken
without Drummond knowing or being able to question Duarte about the thousands
of dollars he had been paid.
127. As described above, the Enterprise sent, or caused to be sent,
thousands of dollars of payments to Duarte and his family by means of wire
communication in interstate and/or foreign commerce. The funds originated from
Conrad & Scherer’s U.S. bank account, and Conrad & Scherer’s managing partner,
Bill Scherer, knew of and approved these payments. The purpose of the payments
was to corruptly secure Duarte’s false testimony against Drummond, which Duarte
provided in exchange for these payments. The Enterprise utilized the resulting
false, paid-for testimony in official proceedings against Drummond to corruptly
influence, obstruct, and impede the due administration of justice in federal district
court in Alabama and to further their overarching fraudulent and multifaceted
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criminal campaign to extort money from Drummond and otherwise damage its
business interests. The Enterprise’s conduct with respect to Duarte violates 18
U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud), 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery), 18 U.S.C. §
1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering), 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice), and
18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering).
Payments to a man named Jose Joaquin Pinzon Perez
128. The Enterprise has also made substantial payments to a man named
Jose Joaquin Pinzon Perez. According to testimony provided by Collingsworth,
these payments were for a paramilitary known as alias “Halcon.” “Halcon” was
identified by Mr. Collingsworth as a witness with relevant knowledge in Balcero,
but his testimony was never taken.
129. Collingsworth has testified inconsistently regarding who Halcon
actually is, at times claiming Pinzon was an intermediary for Halcon and at other
times claiming Pinzon was Halcon. The most recent version of Collingsworth’s
testimony on this subject is that he does not know Halcon’s true identity and has
never met the man.
130. Based on information uncovered to date, the Enterprise made monthly
payments to Pinzon from at least September 2007 through October 2012, totaling
more than $73,000. For the first few years, most of the payments—approximately
$1,250 per month—were effected by Conrad & Scherer employees withdrawing
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cash from Conrad & Scherer’s bank account in the United States and taking it to
places such as Publix, Walmart and the Island Meat & Fish Supermarket, where it
could then be sent to Jose Pinzon in Colombia via MoneyGram or Western Union
international wires. In January 2012, this process changed. From then until
October 2012,
an employee or agent of both Conrad & Scherer and IRAdvocates would withdraw
cash in Washington, D.C., and wire it to Pinzon in
Colombia via MoneyGram. A detailed description of the payments to Pinzon
which have been discovered to date is provided in Appendix C, which is attached
to this Complaint and incorporated herein by reference.
131. Collingsworth has now claimed that the payments to Pinzon have
ceased, and that he made the decision to stop sending monthly payments because
he did not believe Pinzon could secure for him credible testimony against
Drummond.
132. The Enterprise sent, or caused to be sent, the payments to Pinzon by
means of wire communication in interstate and/or foreign commerce. The vast
majority of the funds originated from Conrad & Scherer’s U.S. bank account, and
Conrad & Scherer’s managing partner, Bill Scherer, knew of and approved these
payments. The purpose of the payments was to corruptly secure false testimony
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against Drummond. The Enterprise intended to use the resulting false, paid-for
testimony in official proceedings against Drummond to corruptly influence,
obstruct, and impede the due administration of justice in federal district court in
Alabama and to further their overarching fraudulent and multifaceted criminal
campaign to extort money from Drummond and otherwise damage its business
interests. Each one of these payments violates 18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud), 18
U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery), 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering), 18
U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice), and 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering).
THE ENTERPRISE’S FRAUDULENT CONCEALMENT OF THEIR DEALINGS WITH WITNESSES AND THEIR LAWYERS
133. Drummond endeavored to discover whether and to what extent the
Enterprise had offered or given anything of value to any of the above-described
witnesses, or any other witnesses identified in the fraudulent lawsuits. But the
Enterprise fraudulently concealed their payments and other improper arrangements
with witnesses and their criminal lawyers, and this concealment has continued to
the present.
134. Although filed in May 2009, due to extensive motion to dismiss
practice, discovery in Balcero did not begin in earnest until the end of 2010. On
June 3, 2011, Drummond served a discovery request seeking “[a]ll documents
reflecting or relating to anything of value offered or given to any [disclosed
witness], any current or former Colombian paramilitary or any other potential
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witness in this litigation, whether offered or given by Plaintiffs, Plaintiffs’ counsel,
or any other person or entity.” Drummond also served an interrogatory requesting
written disclosure of the same information.
135. Collingsworth signed the responses to these requests on July 5, 2011.
By that date, the Enterprise had been paying Charris every month for almost two
years, thousands of dollars had been offered and given to Duarte,
But none of the documents evidencing these payments
or offers of payment were disclosed. Collingsworth responded to the interrogatory
representing that the only benefits offered or provided were relocation costs for the
lead Balcero plaintiff, “reasonable transportation, food, and lodging costs” for the
Balcero plaintiffs who were being deposed in Alabama, and “hamburgers and
other food” for Duarte during meetings discussing his false allegations against
Drummond. The Enterprise transmitted these false discovery responses to
Drummond’s counsel through the United States wires, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §
1343 (wire fraud) and 18 U.S.C. § 1512(c)(2) (obstruction of justice).
136. On July 26, 2011, Drummond served an interrogatory seeking
disclosure of any attorney-client relationship between any lawyer representing the
Balcero plaintiffs and any paramilitary or other witness. Collingsworth signed the
response on September 9, 2011, stating that other than a relationship between him
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and a witness named Rafael Garcia, “there are no other attorney-client
relationships between Terrence Collingsworth, or anyone acting on Plaintiffs’
behalf, and any” paramilitary or other witness. Of course, it is now known this
was false, as Ivan Otero was a member of the Balcero plaintiffs’ legal team who
represented El Tigre, Samario, Blanco, and numerous other paramilitaries. The
Enterprise transmitted this false discovery response to Drummond’s counsel
through the United States wires, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud) and
18 U.S.C. § 1512(c)(2) (obstruction of justice).
137. On October 25, 2011, Drummond moved to compel a full response to
the interrogatory regarding anything of value offered by the Enterprise to
witnesses, seeking to ensure witness payments were not concealed based on some
inappropriate claim of privilege or other objection. Collingsworth filed a response
to this motion on November 8, 2011, falsely representing to the federal court in
Alabama that he had disclosed all responsive information as to all identified
witnesses. At the time Collingsworth and Conrad & Scherer filed this document
into court, Charris had been receiving monthly payments for more than two years,
Halcon had been paid monthly for more than four years, Duarte had been paid
thousands of dollars,
The Enterprise
transmitted this false document to both the federal court in Alabama and
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Drummond’s counsel through the United States wires, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §
1343 (wire fraud) and 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice).
138. On March 8, 2012, the Northern District of Alabama ordered
Collingsworth and Conrad & Scherer to disclose witness payment information
relating to identified witnesses or any paramilitary. The court raised its concern
over “the apparent fact that Colombian jailed paramilitaries are not willing to talk
to anyone unless offered or given something of value,” and that full disclosure on
this issue “would serve a legitimate discovery (and litigation) purpose here: to
ensure that the testimony of paramilitaries is not put up for sale and discover if, in
fact, it has been.”
139. Timely compliance with this order was crucial, as none of the
witnesses who would offer trial testimony against Drummond had yet been
deposed (in fact, no oral testimony had been taken in the case at all). However, the
letters rogatory testimony of the incarcerated Colombian witnesses was scheduled
to take place over the next few months. Nevertheless, the fraudulent concealment
continued, and all of the incarcerated witnesses provided their trial testimony
without Drummond knowing the Enterprise had made any payments to witnesses.
140. Also on March 8, 2012, the same day the above order was entered, the
court held a hearing at which Collingsworth made further misrepresentations to
Drummond and the court. Drummond had requested that the letters rogatory
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testimony of Samario be postponed because the Enterprise had issued a press
release, which was published on Llanos Oil’s website, disclosing the precise date,
time and location that the testimony of Samario was to be taken, which raised
security concerns for Drummond and its counsel who would be appearing at this
testimony. At the hearing discussing this issue, the court questioned Collingsworth
on why this information would be published on Llanos Oil’s website, and
expressed serious misgivings about Collingsworth’s attorney-client relationship
with the principals of Llanos Oil:
THE COURT: […] First, what is the relationship between Llanos and Drummond?
MR. COLLINGSWORTH: There is no – they are competitors in Drummond – excuse me – in Colombia. I believe that Llanos has a claim in the World Court against the Government of Colombia that relates to a disputed title to some oil rights that Drummond holds.
THE COURT: Okay.
MR. COLLINGSWORTH: There is no relationship to this case, Your Honor.
[…]
THE COURT: […] Mr. Collingsworth, I’m going to say one more thing: I am concerned about this whole business with Llanos. Can’t put my finger on it, but at a minimum I could say this to you: I don’t know that your client’s best interests includes that type of an association with a competitor of Drummond because you’re going to open yourself up at a minimum to questions about your approach to this case and what your interests are. Are they pro-plaintiff or anti-
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Drummond; or are they anti-Drummond plus pro-competitor of Drummond. . . .
(Emphasis added). Of course, Collingsworth’s representation that Llanos Oil had
“no relationship to this case” was a lie.
141. As described in paragraphs 66 through 140 above and in Appendix D,
due to the Enterprise’s fraudulent concealment, all of the trial testimony in Balcero
accusing Drummond of heinous crimes was taken without Drummond knowing
about a single witness payment described in this Complaint.
THE ASK
142. The trial testimony of the incarcerated paramilitaries was concluded in
May 2012. With this false testimony in hand, and knowing that not a single
witness payment had been disclosed, the Enterprise decided it was time to inquire
whether Drummond would be willing to settle the fraudulent lawsuit. In June
2012, Bill Scherer sent word through a friend in Washington, D.C. to Drummond’s
counsel in Washington, D.C. to ask whether, now, Drummond would be willing to
settle. Drummond rejected this extortionate overture. Nevertheless, the
Enterprise’s conduct constitutes extortion in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1951 (Hobbs
Act – extortion).
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SOME OF THE PAYMENTS ARE DISCOVERED
143. Discovery in Balcero closed at the end of June 2012. In August 2012,
when Drummond no longer had the means available to seek further discovery on
the issue in Balcero, Collingsworth and Conrad & Scherer produced a batch of
documents reflecting monthly transfers to a man named Jose Pinzon, who at that
time was unknown to Drummond.
144. In January 2013, Collingsworth and Conrad & Scherer produced
another batch of documents, this one including various deposit slips showing
deposits into the account of a Claudia Pinzon by a woman named Yineth Baeza.
At the time, Drummond did not know that the payments were for Charris. Also
included was a wire confirmation to a woman named Celina Lombardi Nieves. At
the time, Drummond did not know that this woman was the wife of El Canoso.
The production also included an email from Duarte providing the names of two
women, and wire confirmations of monetary transfers to these women.
145. No documents were produced reflecting
As explained below, it was not until
November 2014 that Drummond first learned
was not until January 2015 that
THE FURTHER FRAUDULENT CONCEALMENT
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146. Between January and September 2011, Collingsworth wrote three
letters—two to the Government of the Netherlands and one to Itochu Corporation,
a company in negotiations to purchase an interest in Drummond’s Colombian
subsidiary—stating as “objective facts” that Drummond was complicit with the
AUC in the murders of hundreds of Colombians, and urging the recipients of the
letters to cease all business ties with Drummond. Drummond filed a defamation
suit against Collingsworth and Conrad & Scherer in October 2011.
147. Due to Collingsworth and Conrad & Scherer’s dispute of personal
jurisdiction, which resulted in an interlocutory appeal to the Eleventh Circuit Court
of Appeals, discovery in that case did not begin until early 2013. Drummond
began inquiring into the purpose of the payment documents produced in August
2012 and January 2013, and sought discovery of all of the Enterprise’s
expenditures in Balcero in an effort to discover whether and to what extent
witnesses in that case were paid.
148. As it started becoming clear that Charris, Duarte, and El Canoso were
paid, Collingsworth and Conrad & Scherer defended these payments by claiming
they were for “security” for these witnesses and their families. Collingsworth and
Conrad & Scherer also repeatedly misrepresented, in pleadings, sworn testimony,
and statements to the federal court in Alabama, that these were the only payments
that were made. These representations, numerous examples of which are included
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in Appendix D which is attached and incorporated herein by reference, were
unequivocally false.
These misrepresentations were made to corruptly influence,
obstruct, and impede the due administration of justice in federal district court in
Alabama and to further the Enterprise’s overarching fraudulent and multifaceted
criminal campaign to extort money from Drummond and otherwise damage its
business interests, and violate 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice).
149. Nevertheless, Drummond continued pressing for information on other
witness payments. During a hearing in April 2014 in Birmingham, Alabama, the
federal court specifically asked Collingsworth and Conrad & Scherer whether all
payments to witnesses in Balcero had been disclosed, and Collingsworth
knowingly lied to the court:
[DRUMMOND’S COUNSEL]: …So the basis of their defense is these paramilitaries were telling the truth; and not only that, I reasonably believe that they were telling the truth. And if he was paying them and it looks like we’re starting to build a record that almost everyone has been paid and I think we are going to be able to build a record that everyone was paid at some point, then that is very, very relevant to whether or not he reasonably believed –
JUDGE PROCTOR: Let me ask that question to Mr. Smith
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[counsel for Collingsworth and Conrad & Scherer]. Mr. Smith, consult with Mr. Collingsworth and let me know this. Is there a witness that I have received testimony from south of the Equator that didn't receive a security payment?
MR. SMITH: Can he answer that?
JUDGE PROCTOR: Sure. I’m trying not to put him on trial. I’m going through counsel.
MR. SMITH: I appreciate that, Your Honor.
MR. COLLINGSWORTH: Your Honor, the shortest way to the truth is to ask me the question. Thank you. Our papers have made it clear and I will say that a lot of the new ambush allegations that they’ve made, each time they make one if we get a chance to show you the facts, the facts clear up any misunderstanding of what happened. There were exactly in this case three witnesses whose family members were moved because they received death threats, and those were Charris, Helvez [Gelvez], Guartay [Duarte]. Those are the witnesses whose family members were moved. There was an additional person named Halcon who was participating in Drummond 1 way out there and I had little to do with. I never met the guy.
JUDGE PROCTOR: Drummond 1 in front of Judge Bowdre?
MR. COLLINGSWORTH: That’s correct. He was relocated and at some point we began also helping him with his relocation assistance, but our interrogatory responses to them made clear we took him off the table, I found him not to be credible, and he is not a witness. So the three witnesses that I've mentioned, Charris, Guartay, and Helvez, are the family members of those people who were relocated.
JUDGE PROCTOR: Are those the only three besides Halcon who received security payments?
MR. COLLINGSWORTH: That’s correct.
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(Emphasis added).
150. Collingsworth’s statements to the court in April 2014 were a total
fabrication. It was not until almost a year later that Drummond discovered and
brought to the court’s attention that Collingsworth had lied in open court. Only
after being caught in this lie did Collingsworth admit via affidavit that these
statements were “wrong” and “inaccurate,” and he promised to “be very careful not
to let this happen again.” Presumably in attempt to excuse his failure to tell the
Court for almost a year that he had lied, Collingsworth testified in this affidavit
that following the April 2014 hearing, he “was swamped with work.”
151.
These misrepresentations were made
to corruptly influence, obstruct, and impede the due administration of justice in
federal district court in Alabama and to further the Enterprise’s overarching
fraudulent and multifaceted criminal campaign to extort money from Drummond
and otherwise damage its business interests, and violate 18 U.S.C. § 1503
(obstruction of justice).
152.
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THE EXTRAJUDICIAL CAMPAIGNS
153. The Enterprise’s criminal and fraudulent acts are not limited to
misrepresentations in court and to Drummond in discovery processes. Indeed, it is
part of the Enterprise’s ordinary business practice to utilize public campaigns as a
way to exert additional pressure on corporations they target. For example, during
the course of his unsuccessful pursuit of the Coca Cola Company for alleged
complicity with Colombian paramilitaries in the murder of union leaders,
Collingsworth urged activist Ray Rogers to start a public campaign against Coke,
which he did. This became known as the “Campaign to Stop Killer Coke,” which
remains active and is still run by Rogers today. IRAdvocates even describes on its
website some of its activities against multinational corporations as “public
shaming” and “political advocacy.”
154. Consistent with this business practice, and consistent with Francisco
Ramirez’s promise after the failed Romero case that they would “multiply [their]
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efforts to start a boycott” of Drummond, the Enterprise engaged in a worldwide
public relations campaign, spreading their false allegations and the “testimony” of
their witnesses to anyone who would listen. Noticeably absent from these
communications is any mention that the Enterprise was paying these witnesses or
their families, or that the criminal lawyer for many of the witnesses had been
promised a contingency fee in the cases against Drummond before his
clients provided their “testimony.” A detailed listing of many of the Enterprise’s
fraudulent communications with media outlets, the U.S. Department of Justice, and
activist groups is attached hereto as Appendix E, and is incorporated herein by
reference. A large number of these communications were via email, and therefore
used the United States and international wires to further the Enterprise’s fraudulent
and multifaceted criminal campaign to extort money from Drummond and
otherwise damage its business interests, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire
fraud).
155. And contrary to the claims by Collingsworth and Conrad & Scherer of
concern for the “security” of their paramilitary witnesses, the Enterprise
broadcasted the identities and “testimony” of these witnesses as soon as they
possibly could. For example, within a few weeks of Charris signing the first
declaration the Enterprise was able to obtain in Balcero, they publicly filed it,
disclosing Charris’s full name, identification number, and testimony. El Tigre
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signed his first declaration on December 3, 2009, and Samario signed his the
following day. The same day Samario signed his declaration, Collingsworth and
Conrad & Scherer filed an amended complaint in Balcero, publicly disclosing El
Tigre and Samario’s identities and the substance of their testimony. On February
27, 2011, Duarte’s declaration was signed. The Enterprise publicly filed it five
days later, disclosing his identity, testimony, and the jail in which he was housed.
Jaime Blanco’s declaration was signed on October 14, 2011. Predictably, the
Enterprise publicly filed it in less than fourteen days.
156. In fact, the declarations and letters rogatory testimony of every
Balcero witness to give testimony against Drummond was published to the world
at large on IRAdvocates’ website. It is curious indeed for the Enterprise to claim
concern for the security of these “witnesses” while at the same time plastering the
internet with their identities, their allegations, and, in most instances, their
locations. In reality, “security” is simply a cover for what the Enterprise’s
payments actually are: payments for testimony.
157. Much of the Enterprise’s public campaign efforts have been aimed at
damaging Drummond’s business interests in Europe, where much of the coal from
the Colombian Mine is exported. The Netherlands is a key component to the
Enterprise’s strategy, as most of the coal imported into Europe travels through the
ports of Rotterdam and Amsterdam.
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158. As referenced above, in 2010, Collingsworth began meeting with
Albert van Bilderbeek in the Netherlands, not only to discuss financing the
fraudulent litigation against Drummond, but also to garner media attention in the
Netherlands. In an email from June 2010 discussing their efforts with the Dutch
press, Collingsworth revealed his shared goal with van Bilderbeek of “closing
down Drummond.” Collingsworth has at times described the subject of his
communications with van Bilderbeek as “campaign case strategy.”
159. In December 2010, while again discussing drawing attention to the
Enterprise’s false allegations against Drummond, Albert van Bilderbeek requested
that Collingsworth send him a letter addressed to members of the Dutch Parliament
repeating the Enterprise’s false claims. Collingsworth suggested waiting until after
the New Year, voicing concern that a letter during the holidays may “get ignored in
the midst of the celebrations.” Consistent with this suggestion, Collingsworth
finalized the letter on January 18, 2011, and emailed it to Albert van Bilderbeek to
be hand-delivered to government officials in Amsterdam. Van Bilderbeek also
immediately published the letter on the Llanos Oil website. After characterizing as
“objective facts” the Enterprise’s false allegations of Drummond’s complicity in
human rights violations and mass murder, Collingsworth concluded the letter by
telling the Dutch Prime Minister, “I hope that you will urge your government to
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terminate any business relationship with Drummond until it makes full amends for
the atrocities it committed in Colombia.”
160. In February 2011, Collingsworth, with the editorial assistance of
Albert van Bilderbeek, prepared and sent another letter to Dutch government
officials, repeating the false claims that Drummond was complicit in murder. This
letter, too, was immediately published on the Llanos Oil website.
161.
Upon information and belief, up to this point PAX, The
Netherlands had never published anything about Drummond. This all changed
when the Enterprise started feeding PAX their false and fraudulent allegations.
162. According to PAX, in the Spring of 2011, PAX representatives made
a trip to Cesar, Colombia to begin investigating a report on Drummond’s alleged
links to paramilitaries. During the course of their “investigation,” they met with
Francisco Ramirez, as well as some of Collingsworth and Conrad & Scherer’s
clients in the fraudulent litigation against Drummond.
163. By May 2011, PAX was not very far into its “investigation,”
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164. What is known is that the Enterprise fed PAX with the false, paid-for
testimony it was able to acquire. According to billing records produced to date, in
August 2012 a Conrad & Scherer employee was gathering paramilitary
declarations to be provided to PAX. Upon information and belief, PAX was not
informed of the substantial payments to the paramilitaries that signed these
declarations. Collingsworth’s billing records reflect that in November 2012, he
emailed with PAX regarding “facts in [the] Drummond case fore [sic] report to be
published in [the] Netherlands.”
these emails by Collingsworth have not been
produced.
165. Over the next several months, the Enterprise continued feeding PAX
false information.
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And on January 23, 2013, Collingsworth and Leete
met with Marianne Moor—PAX’s Senior Programme Officer for Latin America—
to, in Collingsworth’s words, “develop [Drummond] campaign in [the] European
Union.”
166. With the urging and assistance of the Enterprise, and in reliance on
the false “testimony” criminally procured by the Enterprise, PAX has indeed
developed a campaign to stop the import of Drummond’s coal to Europe. In June
2014, PAX published a false “report” entitled The Dark Side of Coal: Paramilitary
Violence in the Mining Region of Cesar, Colombia, with Marianne Moor serving
as the lead author. The “report” is essentially a catalogue of the false testimony
procured by the Enterprise, and provided by the Enterprise to PAX. The “report”
concludes by calling for European Union governments to “[u]rge electricity
utilities to refrain from buying coal from Drummond” until it provides a remedy to
the victims of paramilitary violence, many of whom not coincidentally would be
the Enterprise’s clients in the fraudulent litigation against Drummond.
167. The Enterprise also assisted PAX in drawing attention to the PAX
“report.” Very soon after the “report” was finalized, IRAdvocates published it on
its website. In October 2014, Marianne Moor and Francisco Ramirez publicly
presented the “report” in Valledupar, Colombia.
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168. PAX has formulated a “Stop Blood Coal” campaign, stating as its
goal: “We are appealing to the Dutch public through the ‘Stop Blood Coal’
campaign to find out whether their energy company uses blood coal and, if so, to
urge the company’s management to stop importing this coal.”
169. Drummond has spent inordinate amounts of time and expense dealing
with the European response (both by customers and European Union governments)
to PAX’s anti-Drummond campaign, which is a direct result of the Enterprise’s
efforts as described above.
170. The Enterprise has even attempted to fraudulently induce the
authorities in the U.S. and Colombia to criminally investigate Drummond.
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In November 2011, Collingsworth emailed with Dan Kovalik about
the possibility of an FBI investigation, and Collingsworth stated: “Well, they have
been talking to me for about 2 years and I keep feeding them new stuff. Once I
showed them Jaime Blanco’s declaration (you saw that right?), they did go down
and interview several of the key people.” Collingsworth has also testified he met
with Colombian authorities to share his “evidence.” Upon information and belief,
Collingsworth has never informed the authorities of his illicit payments to
paramilitary witnesses.
IV. CLAIMS FOR RELIEF
COUNT I Violations of RICO, 18 U.S.C. § 1962(c)
171. Drummond realleges and incorporates herein by reference paragraphs
1 through 170 of this Complaint and Appendices A through E, as if set forth in full.
172. At all relevant times, Drummond was and is a person within the
meaning of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1961(3) and 1962(c).
173. At all relevant times, each RICO Defendant was and is a person
within the meaning of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1961(3) and 1962(c).
174. The RICO Defendants and their co-conspirators are a group of
persons associated together in fact for the purpose of carrying out an ongoing
criminal enterprise, as described in the foregoing paragraphs of this Complaint.
The RICO Defendants and their co-conspirators have perpetrated, and continue to
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perpetrate, a massive and multifaceted campaign of lies, fraud, corruption and
bribery to extort Drummond to settle spurious lawsuits, to damage Drummond’s
reputation and business interests and to obtain a fraudulent and extortionate
financial windfall, either through settlement or a judgment procured by fraud. The
RICO Defendants and their co-conspirators have organized their operation into a
transnational unit, operating in the United States, Colombia and Europe, with Mr.
Collingsworth serving as the ringleader. This criminal enterprise has been
structured to operate as a unit in order to accomplish the goals of their criminal
scheme:
a. Defendants Collingsworth, Conrad & Scherer, Bill Scherer and
IRAdvocates have been responsible for the coordination of the
scheme to defraud, extort and “close down” Drummond, and
have directed their agents and co-conspirators to take actions
necessary to accomplish the goals of the criminal enterprise –
namely, bribing imprisoned Colombian criminals to give false
testimony against Drummond, utilizing false evidence in
judicial proceedings and in a massive international media
campaign designed to spread false and misleading information
about Drummond, and obstructing Drummond’s efforts to
uncover their misconduct in various U.S. court proceedings.
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b. Defendant Francisco Ramirez has been responsible for
facilitating many of the payments to, and procuring the false
testimony of, Colombian criminals who testified against
Drummond. Ramirez has been intimately involved in
recruiting imprisoned Colombian criminals willing to offer
false testimony in exchange for money. He has also been
instrumental in fabricating the substance of that false
testimony. Ramirez has also served as one of the most active
members of the criminal enterprise in disseminating false and
fraudulent testimony and lies about Drummond in the
Colombian and U.S. media. Ramirez has also participated in
the fraudulent concealment of the Enterprise’s illegal activity.
c. Defendant Ivan Otero has been responsible for
procuring the false testimony of,
Colombian criminals who testified against Drummond, many
(if not all) of whom are his clients. Otero has been intimately
involved in fabricating the substance of that false testimony.
Otero has also participated in the fraudulent concealment of the
Enterprise’s illegal activity, and has submitted false
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declarations in judicial proceedings in Alabama in an effort to
hide the truth and further the Enterprise’s extortionate scheme.
d. Defendant Albert van Bilderbeek
. Van Bilderbeek has also been intimately involved
in orchestrating media coverage in Europe for the false
testimony of these witnesses. Van Bilderbeek orchestrated this
media coverage in an effort to pressure Drummond’s European
customers to cease doing business with Drummond, to damage
Drummond’s business interests, and to seek to have
Drummond implicated in criminal activity for his own financial
benefit.
175. The RICO Defendants and their co-conspirators constitute an
association-in-fact enterprise within the meaning of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1961(4) and
1962(c). Each of the RICO Defendants participated in the operation or
management of the Enterprise.
176. At all relevant times, the Enterprise was engaged in, and its activities
affected interstate and foreign commerce within the meaning of 18 U.S.C. §
1962(c).
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177. The RICO Defendants conducted or participated, directly or
indirectly, in the conduct, management, or operation of the Enterprise’s affairs
through a “pattern of racketeering activity” within the meaning of 18 U.S.C. §
1961(5) and in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1962(c), to wit:
Pattern of Racketeering Activity:Multiple Instances of Mail and Wire Fraud in Violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1341 and
1343
178. The RICO Defendants engaged in a multifaceted and massive scheme
to extort and defraud Drummond, deceive the U.S. and Colombian judicial
systems, and corruptly influence and deceive the media and general public
concerning Drummond’s purported responsibility for the murders of scores of
Colombian citizens by bribing witnesses for false testimony, spreading fraudulent
and false statements regarding Drummond to the U.S. and international media, and
advocating for the criminal indictment of Drummond in Colombia and the U.S.
The objective of the RICO Defendants’ scheme is to reap a fraudulent financial
windfall, either by coercing Drummond into paying money to the RICO
Defendants or by procuring a judgment from federal court in Alabama through
fraud. Such a windfall would directly benefit the individual and organizational
RICO Defendants, as well as their co-conspirators.
179. In furtherance of their scheme, and as described herein, the RICO
Defendants transmitted, or caused to be transmitted, by means of wire
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communication in interstate or foreign commerce, writings, signs, signals, pictures
and sounds, and also caused matters and things to be placed in any post office or
authorized depository, or deposited or caused to be deposited matters or things to
be sent or delivered by a private or commercial interstate carrier, including, but not
limited to, the following:
a. Emails and website postings incorporating false and misleading
statements regarding Drummond and the false testimony of the
Colombian criminals the RICO Defendants had paid;
b. Writings and/or mailings between and among the RICO Defendants
concerning the procurement, fabrication and purchase of the false
testimony
that was submitted to Alabama federal courts by the RICO
Defendants;
c. Communications directed towards U.S. federal government officials
and regulators incorporating false and misleading statements
regarding Drummond’s complicity with Colombian paramilitaries;
d. Communications directed towards Colombian government officials
and regulators incorporating false and misleading statements
regarding Drummond’s complicity with Colombian paramilitaries;
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e. Funds transferred amongst the RICO Defendants, with the intent that
those funds be used to promote the carrying on of the RICO
Defendants’ criminal activities;
f. Funds transferred to witnesses
with the intent that those funds be used to obtain false
testimony against Drummond for use in the RICO Defendants’
multifaceted scheme to extort and defraud Drummond;
g. Electronic filing and service of court papers containing false and
misleading statements intended to defraud Drummond and impede
the operation of courts in both the United States and Colombia.
180. Drummond incorporates by reference the attached Appendices A
through E, which set forth the particular uses of wire and mail communications in
furtherance of the RICO Defendants’ scheme to defraud that constitute violations
of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1341 and 1443, including which individual RICO Defendant or co-
conspirator caused the communication to be mailed or wired, when the
communication was made, and how it furthered the fraudulent scheme.
181. The RICO Defendants participated in the scheme knowingly, willfully
and with the intent to extort and defraud Drummond into paying the RICO
Defendants and their co-conspirators, and/or to defraud federal courts in Alabama
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to award them a substantial monetary judgment that would be paid by Drummond.
The RICO Defendants knowingly and intentionally paid money to imprisoned
Colombian paramilitaries to obtain false testimony against Drummond, and then
knowingly, and with the intent to defraud Drummond and otherwise damage
Drummond by deceiving the U.S. and Colombian authorities and judicial systems,
Drummond’s customers, the media, and the general public, caused that testimony
to be filed and disseminated under the pretense that it was true. The RICO
Defendants disseminated this testimony, knowing it was false, with the intent that
those statements and testimony would be believed and form the basis for further
public attacks on Drummond, investigations of Drummond, and destruction of
Drummond’s business. The RICO Defendants also utilized this false testimony in
a knowing attempt to initiate criminal proceedings against Drummond by U.S.
federal law enforcement authorities and the Colombian government. The RICO
Defendants knowingly engaged in the aforementioned conduct with the intent to
generate fear in Drummond such that Drummond would pay the RICO Defendants
to cease their conduct, under the guise of settlement or judgment in the litigation
filed against Drummond in the Northern District of Alabama.
182. The RICO Defendants’ false and misleading statements, and their
evidence procured through bribery, have been relied upon by Drummond, U.S.
courts, U.S. law enforcement agencies, Colombian courts, Colombian law
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enforcement agencies, Drummond’s customers, the media, and the general public.
The RICO Defendants’ false and misleading statements have caused Drummond
substantial damages.
Pattern of Racketeering Activity:Extortion in Violation of Hobbs Act, 18 U.S.C. § 1951
183. At all times material to this Complaint, Drummond was engaged in
interstate and foreign commerce and in an industry that affects interstate and
foreign commerce.
184. As described herein, the RICO Defendants have orchestrated a
massive and multifaceted campaign of public attacks against Drummond based on
false and misleading statements, evidence procured through bribery, a threatened
civil judgment, investigations by U.S. and Colombian law enforcement agencies,
and ongoing harassment and disruptions of business operations, all with the intent
and effect of causing a reasonable fear of economic loss on the part of Drummond
and to negatively affect Drummond’s production and sale of coal in interstate
commerce.
185. As described herein, the RICO Defendants manufactured false
evidence – which they are relying on in their cases against Drummond – with the
intent and effect of causing a reasonable fear of economic loss on the part of
Drummond.
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186. As described herein, the RICO Defendants have also attempted to
instigate criminal proceedings against Drummond in Colombia and the U.S. in
order to extort a payment from Drummond.
187. The RICO Defendants’ actions are intended to induce in Drummond
the fear that the RICO Defendants will, among other things: (1) continue to pursue
a scheme of misrepresentation and fraud to the great harm and public destruction
of Drummond, unless and until Drummond pays the RICO Defendants under the
guise of settlement or judgment to cease their extortionate scheme; (2) continue to
seek to have Drummond indicted criminally in Colombia and the U.S. based on
false evidence; (3) disseminate false evidence and statements to the media and
Drummond’s customers to harm Drummond’s business operations. These actions,
as described herein, have created a reasonable fear of harm on the part of
Drummond, including fear of economic loss.
188. Accordingly, the RICO Defendants have unlawfully obstructed,
delayed, and affected – and conspired and attempted to obstruct, delay, and affect –
commerce as that term is defined in 18 U.S.C. § 1951, and the movement of
articles and commodities in such commerce, by extortion, as that term is defined in
§ 1951, in that the RICO Defendants attempted to induce Drummond to consent to
relinquish property through the wrongful use of actual and threatened force,
violence, and fear – including fear of economic harm.
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Pattern of Racketeering Activity: Money Laundering in Violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A)
189. As described above and in Appendices A through C, RICO
Defendants Collingsworth, Bill Scherer, Conrad & Scherer, and IRAdvocates have
on multiple occasions, knowingly caused the transportation, transmission, and/or
transfer of funds to or from the United States
with the intent that those funds be
used to promote the carrying on of unlawful activity, including but not limited to
violations of 18 U.S.C. §§ 201, 1341, 1343 and 1951, including payments to
Colombian witnesses in exchange for false testimony against Drummond.
Pattern of Racketeering Activity: Obstruction of Justice in Violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1503
190. In a concerted effort to defraud Drummond and thwart Drummond’s
attempts to uncover the truth and avoid discovery, the RICO Defendants have
habitually filed or caused to be filed documents, including declarations sworn
under penalty of perjury, that falsely represent the nature and scope of their
payments to witnesses in Colombia. They have also suborned the perjured
testimony of the Colombian criminals they have bribed in an effort to conceal their
witness payments. Drummond incorporates by reference the attached Appendices
A through D, which set forth the particular instances in which Defendants have
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filed documents and false declarations, and purposefully elicited testimony they
knew to be false, in furtherance of the RICO Defendants’ scheme to defraud.
191. On April 21, 2014, RICO Defendant Collingsworth knowingly
misrepresented the scope and nature of his witness payments in open court in
response to a direct question from a federal judge. This misrepresentation was part
of the Enterprise’s efforts to conceal the true scope of the witness payments from
Drummond.
192. The RICO Defendants have made these misrepresentations with full
knowledge that their statements were false. By making these deliberate and false
representations in various federal judicial proceedings, with full awareness of their
consequence and with the specific intent to corruptly endeavor to influence,
obstruct, and impede the due administration of justice, the RICO Defendants have
committed multiple instances of obstruction of justice in violation of 18 U.S.C. §
1503.
Pattern of Racketeering Activity: Witness Bribery in Violation of 18 U.S.C. § 201
193. The RICO Defendants corruptly offered and gave money to witnesses
Charris, Duarte, and El Canoso, and/or their criminal
lawyers, with the intent to influence the testimony of these witnesses. The RICO
Defendants corruptly offered to help Blanco with authorities in the United States,
also with the intent to influence his testimony. Drummond incorporates by
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reference paragraphs above and the attached Appendices A through
C, which set forth the particular instances in which these witnesses received bribes
and/or other inducements in furtherance of the RICO Defendants’ scheme to
defraud. In exchange for these funds and promises, these witnesses provided false
testimony against Drummond which the RICO Defendants then utilized in their
multifaceted and massive scheme to extort money from Drummond or obtain a
fraudulent monetary judgment.
Pattern of Racketeering Activity: Witness Tampering in Violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1512
194. As described in paragraphs above and in Appendices
A through C, the RICO Defendants corruptly offered and paid money and other
illicit benefits to Charris, El Canoso and Duarte, and/or
their criminal lawyers.
195. The RICO Defendants made these offers and payments with the intent
and purpose of influencing testimony by corruptly persuading
Charris, El Canoso and Duarte to falsely testify in judicial proceedings
against Drummond. The RICO Defendants then filed this testimony in United
States federal court in Birmingham, Alabama as part of this scheme.
Summary of the Pattern of Racketeering Activity
196. Each of the RICO Defendants has engaged in multiple predicate acts,
as described above and in Appendices A through E. The conduct of each of the
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RICO Defendants described above constitutes a pattern of racketeering activity
within the meaning of 18 U.S.C. § 1961(5).
the Enterprise continues to rely on the witness testimony that was
corruptly obtained through these witness payments in the various lawsuits against
Drummond. the
Enterprise is fully capable of continuing to pay these and other witnesses in the
future. The Enterprise has instituted lawsuits against several corporations under
the Alien Tort Statute and other causes of action that rely on the same or similar
paramilitary witnesses. Thus, the wrongful conduct in this case is capable of
repetition and it is very likely that it will be repeated both in the lawsuits against
Drummond and against other corporations.
197. Drummond was injured in its business and property by reason of the
RICO Defendants’ violations of 18 U.S.C. § 1962(c). The injuries to Drummond
caused by the RICO Defendants’ violations of 18 U.S.C. § 1962(c) include but are
not limited to the attorneys’ fees, costs, and other expenses incurred defending
itself in the sham litigation in the Northern District of Alabama; damage to
Drummond’s business interests, including adverse effects on its sale of coal to
European customers; disruption of its business, including substantial loss and
diversion of time of key personnel and damage to its union relations; and expenses
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of responding to and dealing with the political and public effects of the RICO
Defendants’ fraudulent schemes.
198. The injuries to Drummond were a but for, direct, proximate, and
reasonably foreseeable result of the RICO Defendants’ violations of 18 U.S.C. §
1962. Drummond is the most frequent target and victim of the RICO Defendants’
unlawful Enterprise. Drummond has been and will continue to be injured in its
business and property in an amount to be determined at trial.
199. Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 1964(c), Drummond is entitled to recover
treble damages plus costs and attorneys’ fees from the RICO Defendants.
COUNT II CONSPIRACY TO VIOLATE RICO, 18 U.S.C. § 1962(d)
200. The RICO Defendants have unlawfully, knowingly and willfully
combined, conspired, confederated and agreed together and with others to violate
18 U.S.C. § 1962(c) as described above, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1962(d).
201. Upon information and belief, the RICO Defendants knew that they
were engaged in a conspiracy to commit the predicate acts, and they knew that the
predicate acts were part of such racketeering activity, and the participation and
agreement of each of them was necessary to allow the commission of this pattern
of racketeering activity. This conduct constitutes a conspiracy to violate 18 U.S.C.
§ 1962(c), in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1962(d).
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202. Upon information and belief, the RICO Defendants agreed to conduct
or participate, directly or indirectly, in the conduct, management, or operation of
the Enterprise’s affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity in violation of 18
U.S.C. § 1962(c).
203. Each RICO Defendant knew about and agreed to facilitate the
Enterprise’s scheme to obtain property from Drummond. It was part of the
conspiracy that the RICO Defendants and their co-conspirators would commit a
pattern of racketeering activity in the conduct of the affairs of the Enterprise,
including the acts of racketeering set forth in paragraphs 66 through 170 above and
Appendices A through E.
204. As a but for, direct and proximate result of the RICO Defendants’
conspiracy, the acts of racketeering activity of the Enterprise, the overt acts taken
in furtherance of that conspiracy, and violations of 18 U.S.C. § 1962(d),
Drummond has been injured in its property and business, including the attorneys’
fees, costs, and other expenses incurred defending itself in the sham litigation in
the Northern District of Alabama; damage to Drummond’s business interests,
including adverse effects on its sale of coal to European customers; disruption of
its business, including substantial loss and diversion of time of key personnel and
damage to its union relations; and expenses of responding to and dealing with the
political and public effects of the RICO Defendants’ fraudulent schemes.
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205. Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 1964(c), Drummond is entitled to recover
treble damages plus costs and attorneys’ fees from the RICO Defendants.
COUNT III WILLFUL AND/OR RECKLESS MISREPRESENTATION
in Violation of Ala. Code § 6-5-101 (1975)
206. As outlined in paragraphs 66 through 170 above and the attached
Appendices A through E, the RICO Defendants made numerous
misrepresentations of material facts, both to Drummond and to courts and third-
parties with the intent that Drummond rely on the same, in violation of Ala. Code §
6-5-101 (1975).
207. As a direct and proximate result of these misrepresentations, which
were relied upon by Drummond, Drummond suffered substantial damages,
including but not limited to the attorneys’ fees, costs, and other expenses incurred
defending itself in the sham litigation in the Northern District of Alabama, as well
as harm to its business.
208. Indeed, to date Drummond has expended more than $8.5 million in
the Balcero litigation alone, which was not dismissed at the pleadings stage due
primarily to the allegations attributed to El Tigre. The RICO Defendants
fraudulently concealed the fact that in order to procure El Tigre and Samario’s
testimony, their criminal lawyer Ivan Otero was promised a contingency fee in the
cases against Drummond . Due to the RICO Defendants’
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fraudulent concealment, Drummond did not begin to discover this arrangement
until approximately October 2013.
209.
210. The RICO Defendants’ misrepresentations were made willfully and/or
recklessly.
211. Drummond is entitled to compensatory and punitive damages in an
amount to be determined by a jury, and such further relief as deemed just by the
jury or the Court.
COUNT IV FRAUDULENT CONCEALMENT/SUPPRESSION OF MATERIAL FACTS
in Violation of Ala. Code § 6-5-102 (1975)
212. Drummond realleges and incorporates herein by reference each and
every foregoing paragraph of this Complaint, as if set forth in full.
213. As outlined in paragraphs 66 through 170 above and the attached
Appendices A through E, the RICO Defendants made numerous
misrepresentations of material facts, both to Drummond and to courts and third-
parties with the intent that Drummond rely on the same, while at the same time
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concealing and suppressing the true facts in violation of Ala. Code § 6-5-102
(1975).
214. The RICO Defendants had a duty to disclose these facts, both as
accurate responses to Drummond’s inquiries and in response to court orders
requiring disclosure of the same. Indeed, an ethics expert retained by
Collingsworth and Conrad & Scherer has agreed with the opinions of another
ethics expert that if payments or other inducements to fact witnesses are to be
made, they must be disclosed to the opposing party and the court before they are
made.
215. As a direct and proximate result of this concealment and suppression,
which was relied upon by Drummond, Drummond suffered substantial damages,
including but not limited to the attorneys’ fees, costs, and other expenses incurred
defending itself in the sham litigation in the Northern District of Alabama, as well
as harm to its business, which would have been avoided but for the RICO
Defendants’ suppression and concealment.
216. Indeed, to date Drummond has expended more than $8.5 million in
the Balcero litigation alone, which was not dismissed at the pleadings stage due
primarily to the allegations attributed to El Tigre. The RICO Defendants
fraudulently concealed the fact that in order to procure El Tigre and Samario’s
testimony, their criminal lawyer Ivan Otero was promised a contingency fee in the
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cases against Drummond Due to the RICO Defendants’
fraudulent concealment, Drummond did not begin to discover this arrangement
until approximately October 2013.
217.
218. The RICO Defendants’ suppression and concealment was done
willfully and/or recklessly.
219. Drummond is entitled to compensatory and punitive damages in an
amount to be determined by a jury, and such further relief as deemed just by the
jury or the Court.
COUNT V CIVIL CONSPIRACY
220. As alleged above, at all material times, each of the RICO Defendants
acted as the agent, partner, servant, joint venturer and/or co-conspirator of each or
all of the other RICO Defendants. The RICO Defendants conspired to do the
above-described unlawful, oppressive, and immoral acts through unlawful,
oppressive, and immoral means. As outlined in paragraphs 1 through 170 above
and the attached Appendices A through E, some or all of the RICO Defendants
took overt acts in furtherance of their conspiracy in Birmingham, Alabama.
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221. As a direct and proximate result of this conspiracy, Drummond
suffered substantial damages, including but not limited to the attorneys’ fees, costs,
and other expenses incurred defending itself in the sham litigation in the Northern
District of Alabama, as well as harm to its business.
222. Indeed, to date Drummond has expended more than $8.5 million in
the Balcero litigation alone, which was not dismissed at the pleadings stage due
primarily to the allegations attributed to El Tigre. The RICO Defendants conspired
to and did fraudulently conceal the fact that in order to procure El Tigre and
Samario’s testimony, their criminal lawyer Ivan Otero was promised a contingency
fee in the cases against Drummond . Due to the RICO
Defendants’ fraudulent concealment, Drummond did not begin to discover this
arrangement until approximately October 2013.
223.
224. The RICO Defendants’ acted willfully and/or recklessly in furtherance
of this conspiracy.
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225. Drummond is entitled to compensatory and punitive damages in an
amount to be determined by a jury, and such further relief as deemed just by the
jury or the Court.
PRAYER FOR RELIEF
RICO
Based on the allegations set forth above, Drummond avers that Defendants
are liable for general damages, trebled in accordance with 18 U.S.C. § 1964(c).
Drummond also seeks, pursuant to statute, its reasonable costs and attorneys fees
incurred in pursuing this action.
Wherefore, Drummond demands judgment for compensatory damages in an
amount to be determined by a jury and trebled pursuant to statute, as well as
interest, attorneys fees, costs and expenses, and such other relief as the Court
and/or jury deem just.
STATE LAW CLAIMS
Based on the allegations set forth above, Drummond avers that Defendants
are liable for compensatory and punitive damages in an amount to be determined
by a jury.
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Drummond Company, Inc., et al. v. Terrence P. Collingsworth, et al.
Appendix A - Payments to Jairo de Jesus Charris Castro (“Charris”)
Date Payor Payee Method Violations Description
1. July 30, 2009 Ricardo Garzon Mery Luz Molina Morales (member or friend of Charris’s family)
International wire followed by a cash deposit into Charris’ bank account
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
Richard Gordon withdraws cash from Conrad & Scherer’s bank account in the United States and sends it via Western Union to Colombia to Ricardo Garzon, a member of Collingsworth’s litigation team and co-conspirator. Garzon then deposits 3,000,000 Colombian pesos into Charris’ wife’s Colombian bank account.
2. September 21, 2009
Ricardo Garzon Claudia Pinzon Ballesteros (Charris’ wife)
International wire followed by a cash deposit into Charris’ bank account
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
Richard Gordon withdraws cash from Conrad & Scherer’s bank account in the United States and sends it via Western Union to Colombia to Ricardo Garzon, a member of Collingsworth’s litigation team and co-conspirator. Garzon then deposits 1,920,000 Colombian pesos into Charris’ wife’s Colombian bank account.
3. October 26, 2009
Ricardo Garzon Claudia Pinzon Ballesteros
International wire followed by a cash deposit into Charris’ bank
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery);
Richard Gordon withdraws cash from Conrad & Scherer’s bank account in the United States and sends it via Western Union to Colombia to Ricardo Garzon, a
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Date Payor Payee Method Violations Description
account 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
member of Collingsworth’s litigation team and co-conspirator. Garzon then deposits 1,420,000 Colombian pesos into Charris’ wife’s Colombian bank account.
4. December 12, 2009
Yineth Baeza Claudia Pinzon Ballesteros
International wire followed by a cash deposit into Charris’ bank account
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
Richard Gordon withdraws cash from Conrad & Scherer’s bank account in the United States and sends it via Western Union to Colombia to Yineth Baeza, a member of Collingsworth’s litigation team and co-conspirator. Baeza then deposits 1,500,000 Colombian pesos into Charris’ wife’s Colombian bank account.
5. January 7, 2010 Yineth Baeza Claudia Pinzon Ballesteros
International wire followed by a cash deposit into Charris’ bank account
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
Richard Gordon withdraws cash from Conrad & Scherer’s bank account in the United States and sends it via Western Union to Colombia to Yineth Baeza, a member of Collingsworth’s litigation team and co-conspirator. Baeza then deposits 1,500,000 Colombian pesos into Charris’ wife’s Colombian bank account.
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Date Payor Payee Method Violations Description
6. February 1, 2010
Yineth Baeza Claudia Pinzon Ballesteros
International wire followed by a cash deposit into Charris’ bank account
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
Richard Gordon withdraws cash from Conrad & Scherer’s bank account in the United States and sends it via Western Union to Colombia to Yineth Baeza, a member of Collingsworth’s litigation team and co-conspirator. Baeza then deposits 1,500,000 Colombian pesos into Charris’ wife’s Colombian bank account.
7. March 4, 2010 Yineth Baeza Claudia Pinzon Ballesteros
International wire followed by a cash deposit into Charris’ bank account
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
Richard Gordon withdraws cash from Conrad & Scherer’s bank account in the United States and sends it via Western Union to Colombia to Yineth Baeza, a member of Collingsworth’s litigation team and co-conspirator. Baeza then deposits 1,500,000 Colombian pesos into Charris’ wife’s Colombian bank account.
8. April 8, 2010 Yineth Baeza Claudia Pinzon Ballesteros
International wire followed by a cash deposit into Charris’ bank account
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503
Richard Gordon withdraws cash from Conrad & Scherer’s bank account in the United States and sends it via Western Union to Colombia to Yineth Baeza, a member of Collingsworth’s litigation team and co-conspirator. Baeza then deposits 1,500,000 Colombian pesos into Charris’ wife’s Colombian bank account.
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Date Payor Payee Method Violations Description
(obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
9. April 28, 2010 Yineth Baeza Claudia Pinzon Ballesteros
International wire followed by a cash deposit into Charris’ bank account
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
Jonathan Castano withdraws cash from Conrad & Scherer’s bank account in the United States and sends it via Western Union to Colombia to Yineth Baeza, a member of Collingsworth’s litigation team and co-conspirator. Baeza then deposits 1,500,000 Colombian pesos into Charris’ wife’s Colombian bank account.
10. June 3, 2010 Yineth Baeza Claudia Pinzon Ballesteros
International wire followed by a cash deposit into Charris’ bank account
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
Richard Gordon withdraws cash from Conrad & Scherer’s bank account in the United States and sends it via Western Union to Colombia to Yineth Baeza, a member of Collingsworth’s litigation team and co-conspirator. Baeza then deposits 1,500,000 Colombian pesos into Charris’ wife’s Colombian bank account.
11. July 13, 2010 Yineth Baeza Claudia Pinzon Ballesteros
International wire followed by a cash deposit into Charris’ bank account
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. §
Richard Gordon withdraws cash from Conrad & Scherer’s bank account in the United States and sends it via Western Union to Colombia to Yineth Baeza, a member of Collingsworth’s litigation
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Date Payor Payee Method Violations Description
1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
team and co-conspirator. Baeza then deposits 1,500,000 Colombian pesos into Charris’ wife’s Colombian bank account.
12. August 2, 2010 Yineth Baeza Claudia Pinzon Ballesteros
International wire followed by a cash deposit into Charris’ bank account
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
Richard Gordon withdraws cash from Conrad & Scherer’s bank account in the United States and sends it via Western Union to Colombia to Yineth Baeza, a member of Collingsworth’s litigation team and co-conspirator. Baeza then deposits 1,440,400 Colombian pesos into Charris’ wife’s Colombian bank account.
13. September 7, 2010
Yineth Baeza Claudia Pinzon Ballesteros
International wire followed by a cash deposit into Charris’ bank account
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
Richard Gordon withdraws cash from Conrad & Scherer’s bank account in the United States and sends it via Western Union to Colombia to Yineth Baeza, a member of Collingsworth’s litigation team and co-conspirator. Baeza then deposits 1,397,500 Colombian pesos into Charris’ wife’s Colombian bank account.
14. September 8, Yineth Baeza Claudia Pinzon International wire 18 U.S.C. § 1343 Yineth Baeza, a member of
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Date Payor Payee Method Violations Description
2010 Ballesteros followed by a cash deposit into Charris’ bank account
(wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
Collingsworth’s litigation team and co-conspirator, receives an international money wire from the RICO Defendants in the United States. Baeza then deposits 102,500 Colombian pesos into Charris’ wife’s Colombian bank account.
15. October 6, 2010
Yineth Baeza Claudia Pinzon Ballesteros
International wire followed by a cash deposit into Charris’ bank account
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
Richard Gordon withdraws cash from Conrad & Scherer’s bank account in the United States and sends it via Western Union to Colombia to Yineth Baeza, a member of Collingsworth’s litigation team and co-conspirator. Baeza then deposits 1,500,000 Colombian pesos into Charris’ wife’s Colombian bank account.
16. November 10, 2010
Yineth Baeza Claudia Pinzon Ballesteros
International wire followed by a cash deposit into Charris’ bank account
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of
Jeremy Puentes withdraws cash from Conrad & Scherer’s bank account in the United States and sends it via Western Union to Colombia to Yineth Baeza, a member of Collingsworth’s litigation team and co-conspirator. Baeza then deposits 1,500,000 Colombian pesos into Charris’ wife’s Colombian bank account.
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Date Payor Payee Method Violations Description
justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
17. December 10, 2010
Yineth Baeza Claudia Pinzon Ballesteros
International wire followed by a cash deposit into Charris’ bank account
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
Jonathan Castano withdraws cash from Conrad & Scherer’s bank account in the United States and sends it via Western Union to Colombia to Yineth Baeza, a member of Collingsworth’s litigation team and co-conspirator. Baeza then deposits 1,469,700 Colombian pesos into Charris’ wife’s Colombian bank account.
18. January 12, 2011
Yineth Baeza Claudia Pinzon Ballesteros
International wire followed by a cash deposit into Charris’ bank account
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
Richard Gordon withdraws cash from Conrad & Scherer’s bank account in the United States and sends it via Western Union to Colombia to Yineth Baeza, a member of Collingsworth’s litigation team and co-conspirator. Baeza then deposits 1,530,300 Colombian pesos into Charris’ wife’s Colombian bank account.
19. February 14, 2011
Yineth Baeza Claudia Pinzon Ballesteros
International wire followed by a cash deposit into Charris’ bank account
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A)
Jonathan Castano withdraws cash from Conrad & Scherer’s bank account in the United States and sends it via Western Union to Colombia to Yineth Baeza, a member of Collingsworth’s litigation team and co-conspirator. Baeza then
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Date Payor Payee Method Violations Description
(money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
deposits 1,500,000 Colombian pesos into Charris’ wife’s Colombian bank account.
20. March 9, 2011 Yineth Baeza Claudia Pinzon Ballesteros
International wire followed by a cash deposit into Charris’ bank account
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
Richard Gordon withdraws cash from Conrad & Scherer’s bank account in the United States and sends it via Western Union to Colombia to Yineth Baeza, a member of Collingsworth’s litigation team and co-conspirator. Baeza then deposits 1,500,000 Colombian pesos into Charris’ wife’s Colombian bank account.
21. April 11, 2011 Yineth Baeza Claudia Pinzon Ballesteros
International wire followed by a cash deposit into Charris’ bank account
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
Jeremy Puentes withdraws cash from Conrad & Scherer’s bank account in the United States and sends it via Western Union to Colombia to Yineth Baeza, a member of Collingsworth’s litigation team and co-conspirator. Baeza then deposits 1,422,700 Colombian pesos into Charris’ wife’s Colombian bank account.
22. May 9, 2011 Yineth Baeza Claudia Pinzon Ballesteros
International wire followed by a
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18
Richard Gordon withdraws cash from Conrad & Scherer’s bank account in the
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Date Payor Payee Method Violations Description
cash deposit into Charris’ bank account
U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
United States and sends it via Western Union to Colombia to Yineth Baeza, a member of Collingsworth’s litigation team and co-conspirator. Baeza then deposits 1,361,250 Colombian pesos into Charris’ wife’s Colombian bank account.
23. June 7, 2011 Yineth Baeza Claudia Pinzon Ballesteros
International wire followed by a cash deposit into Charris’ bank account
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
Richard Gordon withdraws cash from Conrad & Scherer’s bank account in the United States and sends it via Western Union to Colombia to Yineth Baeza, a member of Collingsworth’s litigation team and co-conspirator. Baeza then deposits 1,410,700 Colombian pesos into Charris’ wife’s Colombian bank account.
24. July 12, 2011 Yineth Baeza Claudia Pinzon Ballesteros
International wire followed by a cash deposit into Charris’ bank account
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C.
Yineth Baeza, a member of Collingsworth’s litigation team and co-conspirator, receives an international money wire from the RICO Defendants in the United States. Baeza then deposits 1,453,300 Colombian pesos into Charris’ wife’s Colombian bank account.
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Date Payor Payee Method Violations Description
§ 1512 (witness tampering)
25. August 1, 2011 Yineth Baeza Claudia Pinzon Ballesteros
International wire followed by a cash payment
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
Richard Gordon withdraws cash from Conrad & Scherer’s bank account in the United States and sends it via Western Union to Colombia to Yineth Baeza, a member of Collingsworth’s litigation team and co-conspirator. Baeza then provides a direct $202.19 payment to Charris’ family.
26. August 9, 2011 Yineth Baeza Claudia Pinzon Ballesteros
International wire followed by a cash deposit into Charris’ bank account
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
Richard Gordon withdraws cash from Conrad & Scherer’s bank account in the United States and sends it via Western Union to Colombia to Yineth Baeza, a member of Collingsworth’s litigation team and co-conspirator. Baeza then deposits 1,852,050 Colombian pesos into Charris’ wife’s Colombian bank account.
27. September 13, 2011
Yineth Baeza Claudia Pinzon Ballesteros
International wire followed by a cash deposit into Charris’ bank account
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money
Richard Gordon withdraws cash from Conrad & Scherer’s bank account in the United States and sends it via Western Union to Colombia to Yineth Baeza, a member of Collingsworth’s litigation team and co-conspirator. Baeza then deposits 1,500,000 Colombian pesos into
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Date Payor Payee Method Violations Description
laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
Charris’ wife’s Colombian bank account.
28. October 14, 2011
Yineth Baeza Claudia Pinzon Ballesteros
International wire followed by a cash deposit into Charris’ bank account
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
Richard Gordon withdraws cash from Conrad & Scherer’s bank account in the United States and sends it via Western Union to Colombia to Yineth Baeza, a member of Collingsworth’s litigation team and co-conspirator. Baeza then deposits 1,500,000 Colombian pesos into Charris’ wife’s Colombian bank account.
29. December 7, 2011
Yineth Baeza Claudia Pinzon Ballesteros
International wire followed by a cash deposit into Charris’ bank account
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
Richard Gordon withdraws cash from Conrad & Scherer’s bank account in the United States and sends it via Western Union to Colombia to Yineth Baeza, a member of Collingsworth’s litigation team and co-conspirator. Baeza then deposits 3,000,000 Colombian pesos into Charris’ wife’s Colombian bank account.
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30. January 12,
2012 Yineth Baeza Claudia Pinzon
Ballesteros Domestic bank wire followed by an international wire followed by a cash deposit into Charris’ bank account
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
in Washington, D.C. Maggie Crosby withdraws cash
and sends it via MoneyGram to Colombia to Yineth Baeza, a member of Collingsworth’s litigation team and co-conspirator. Baeza then deposits 1,500,000 Colombian pesos into Charris’ wife’s Colombian bank account.
31. February 7, 2012
Yineth Baeza Claudia Pinzon Ballesteros
Domestic bank wire followed by an international wire followed by a cash deposit into Charris’ bank account
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
in Washington, D.C. Maggie Crosby withdraws cash
and sends it via MoneyGram to Colombia to Yineth Baeza, a member of Collingsworth’s litigation team and co-conspirator. Baeza then deposits 1,450,000 Colombian pesos into Charris’ wife’s Colombian bank account.
32. March 6, 2012 Yineth Baeza Claudia Pinzon Ballesteros
Domestic bank wire followed by an international wire followed by a cash deposit into Charris’ bank account
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503
in Washington, D.C. Maggie Crosby withdraws cash
and sends it via MoneyGram to Colombia to Yineth Baeza, a member of Collingsworth’s litigation team and co-conspirator. Baeza then deposits 1,500,000 Colombian pesos
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(obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
into Charris’ wife’s Colombian bank account.
33. April 10, 2012 Yineth Baeza Claudia Pinzon Ballesteros
Domestic bank wire followed by an international wire followed by a cash deposit into Charris’ bank account
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
rom its
in Washington, D.C. Maggie Crosby withdraws cash
and sends it via MoneyGram to Colombia to Yineth Baeza, a member of Collingsworth’s litigation team and co-conspirator. Baeza then deposits 1,452,200 Colombian pesos into Charris’ wife’s Colombian bank account.
34. May 10, 2012 Yineth Baeza Claudia Pinzon Ballesteros
Domestic bank wire followed by an international wire followed by a cash deposit into Charris’ bank account
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
m its
in Washington, D.C. Maggie Crosby withdraws cash
and sends it via MoneyGram to Colombia to Yineth Baeza, a member of Collingsworth’s litigation team and co-conspirator. Baeza then deposits 1,413,650 Colombian pesos into Charris’ wife’s Colombian bank account.
35. June 8, 2012 Yineth Baeza Claudia Pinzon Ballesteros
Domestic bank wire followed by an international wire followed by a cash deposit into Charris’ bank
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A)
in Washington, D.C. Maggie Crosby withdraws cash
and sends it via MoneyGram to Colombia to Yineth
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account (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
Baeza, a member of Collingsworth’s litigation team and co-conspirator. Baeza then deposits 1,430,000 Colombian pesos into Charris’ wife’s Colombian bank account.
36. July 12, 2012 Yineth Baeza Claudia Pinzon Ballesteros
Domestic bank wire followed by an international wire followed by a cash deposit into Charris’ bank account
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
m its
in Washington, D.C. Maggie Crosby withdraws cash
and sends it via MoneyGram to Colombia to Yineth Baeza, a member of Collingsworth’s litigation team and co-conspirator. Baeza then deposits 1,437,000 Colombian pesos into Charris’ wife’s Colombian bank account.
37. August 8, 2012 Yineth Baeza Claudia Pinzon Ballesteros
Domestic bank wire followed by an international wire followed by a cash deposit into Charris’ bank account
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
ts
in Washington, D.C. Maggie Crosby withdraws cash
and sends it via MoneyGram to Colombia to Yineth Baeza, a member of Collingsworth’s litigation team and co-conspirator. Baeza then deposits 1,472,900 Colombian pesos into Charris’ wife’s Colombian bank account.
38. October 11, 2012
Yineth Baeza Claudia Pinzon Ballesteros
Domestic bank wire followed by an international
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201
in Washington, D.C.
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wire followed by a cash deposit into Charris’ bank account
(witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
Maggie Crosby withdraws cash and sends it
via MoneyGram to Colombia to Yineth Baeza, a member of Collingsworth’s litigation team and co-conspirator. Baeza then deposits 2,958,250 Colombian pesos into Charris’ wife’s Colombian bank account.
39. November 7, 2012
Yineth Baeza Claudia Pinzon Ballesteros
Domestic bank wire followed by an international wire followed by a cash deposit into Charris’ bank account
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
s
in Washington, D.C. Maggie Crosby withdraws cash
t and sends it via MoneyGram to Colombia to Yineth Baeza, a member of Collingsworth’s litigation team and co-conspirator. Baeza then deposits 1,487,800 Colombian pesos into Charris’ wife’s Colombian bank account.
40. December 13, 2012
Yineth Baeza Claudia Pinzon Ballesteros
Domestic bank wire followed by an international wire followed by a cash deposit into Charris’ bank account
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
in Washington, D.C. Maggie Crosby withdraws cash
and sends it via MoneyGram to Colombia to Yineth Baeza, a member of Collingsworth’s litigation team and co-conspirator. Baeza then deposits 1,483,650 Colombian pesos into Charris’ wife’s Colombian bank account.
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41. January 4, 2013 Yineth Baeza Claudia Pinzon Ballesteros
Domestic bank wire followed by an international wire followed by a cash deposit into Charris’ bank account
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
its
in Washington, D.C. Maggie Crosby withdraws cash
and sends it via MoneyGram to Colombia to Yineth Baeza, a member of Collingsworth’s litigation team and co-conspirator. Baeza then deposits 1,445,650 Colombian pesos into Charris’ wife’s Colombian bank account.
42. February 6, 2013
Yineth Baeza Claudia Pinzon Ballesteros
Domestic bank wire followed by an international wire followed by a cash deposit into Charris’ bank account
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
in Washington, D.C. Maggie Crosby withdraws cash
and sends it via MoneyGram to Colombia to Yineth Baeza, a member of Collingsworth’s litigation team and co-conspirator. Baeza then deposits 1,400,000 Colombian pesos into Charris’ wife’s Colombian bank account.
43. March 4, 2013 Yineth Baeza Claudia Pinzon Ballesteros
Domestic bank wire followed by an international wire followed by a cash deposit into Charris’ bank account
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of
in Washington, D.C. Maggie Crosby withdraws cash
and sends it via MoneyGram to Colombia to Yineth Baeza, a member of Collingsworth’s litigation team and co-conspirator. Baeza then deposits 1,485,100 Colombian pesos into Charris’ wife’s Colombian bank
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17 of 19
justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
account.
44. April 8, 2013 Yineth Baeza Claudia Pinzon Ballesteros
Domestic bank wire followed by an international wire followed by a cash deposit into Charris’ bank account
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
’
in Washington, D.C. Maggie Crosby withdraws cash
and sends it via MoneyGram to Colombia to Yineth Baeza, a member of Collingsworth’s litigation team and co-conspirator. Baeza then deposits 1,500,000 Colombian pesos into Charris’ wife’s Colombian bank account.
45. May 6, 2013 Yineth Baeza Claudia Pinzon Ballesteros
Domestic bank wire followed by an international wire followed by a cash deposit into Charris’ bank account
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
res money from its ’
in Washington, D.C. Maggie Crosby withdraws cash
and sends it via MoneyGram to Colombia to Yineth Baeza, a member of Collingsworth’s litigation team and co-conspirator. Baeza then deposits 1,500,000 Colombian pesos into Charris’ wife’s Colombian bank account.
46. June 7, 2013 Yineth Baeza Claudia Pinzon Ballesteros
Domestic bank wire followed by an international wire followed by a cash deposit into Charris’ bank account
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money
money from its
in Washington, D.C. Cristina Stam withdraws cash
and sends it via MoneyGram to Colombia to Yineth Baeza, a member of Collingsworth’s
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laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
litigation team and co-conspirator. Baeza then deposits 1,500,000 Colombian pesos into Charris’ wife’s Colombian bank account.
47. July 8, 2013 Yineth Baeza Claudia Pinzon Ballesteros
Domestic bank wire followed by an international wire followed by a cash deposit into Charris’ bank account
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
es money from its ’
in Washington, D.C. I sends cash via MoneyGram to Colombia to Yineth Baeza, a member of Collingsworth’s litigation team and co-conspirator. Baeza then deposits 1,500,000 Colombian pesos into Charris’ wife’s Colombian bank account.
48. August 3, 2013 Yineth Baeza Claudia Pinzon Ballesteros
Domestic bank wire followed by an international wire followed by a cash deposit into Charris’ bank account
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
money from its ’
in Washington, D.C. sends cash via
MoneyGram to Colombia to Yineth Baeza, a member of Collingsworth’s litigation team and co-conspirator. Baeza then deposits 1,500,000 Colombian pesos into Charris’ wife’s Colombian bank account.
49. September 30, 2013
Yineth Baeza Claudia Pinzon Ballesteros
Domestic bank wire followed by an international wire followed by
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery);
oney from its
in Washington, D.C. sends cash via
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a cash deposit into Charris’ bank account
18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
MoneyGram to Colombia to Yineth Baeza, a member of Collingsworth’s litigation team and co-conspirator. Baeza then deposits 1,500,000 Colombian pesos into Charris’ wife’s Colombian bank account.
50. O 2013
endants C rris c bank
by
§ 1343
ery);
have continued to
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Drummond Company, Inc., et al. v. Terrence P. Collingsworth, et al.
Appendix B -
Date Payor Payee Method Violations Description
1.
E S
hen
A)
ng); 18
S.C.
y to
2. E S
n
)
g); 18
S.C.
& y to
3. E S
&
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2 of 13
Date Payor Payee Method Violations Description
A)
4. E S
then
A)
0
5. E S
hen
A)
ng); 18
S.C.
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3 of 13
Date Payor Payee Method Violations Description
6.
E S
18
f
C.
& y to
7.
E S
18
f
C.
& y to
8.
E S
o
ery);
& n y to
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4 of 13
Date Payor Payee Method Violations Description
9.
E S
n
); 18
S.C.
& y to
10. E S
18
S.C.
& y to
11.
E S
&
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5 of 13
Date Payor Payee Method Violations Description
f
12. y 28,
Scherer E and S
al bank
o
§ 1343
ery);
f
send a $2,700 & n
13. 2012 herer S rio bank
o
1343
ry);
f
d a $562.75
14.
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6 of 13
Date Payor Payee Method Violations Description
S then
A)
S.C.
15. E S
then
A)
S.C.
16. E S
hen
A)
ng); 18
y to
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7 of 13
Date Payor Payee Method Violations Description
17. 2 er E d S
nk then
o
43
;
A)
,700
n
18. 2 r E d S
k then
3
A)
00
19. E S
then
A)
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8 of 13
Date Payor Payee Method Violations Description
( ); 18
S.C.
20. N
E S
; 18
S.C.
& y to
21.
E S
18
f
C.
& y to
22.
E S
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9 of 13
Date Payor Payee Method Violations Description
o
ery);
f
n
23. 2013 herer E and S
bank
o
1343
ery);
f
d a $2,700
n
24. 1,
erer E nd S
ank
o
343
ry);
A)
a $2,700
n
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10 of 13
Date Payor Payee Method Violations Description
25. M 1, 2013 Scherer E re and S
nal bank
o
§ 1343
ery);
f
nts send a $2,700 & n
to
26. 2013 Scherer E e and S
al bank
o
§ 1343
ery);
f
s send a $2,700 & n
27.
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11 of 13
Date Payor Payee Method Violations Description
28. 3 r E d S
k then
3
A)
0
n
29. E S
then
A)
S.C.
30. E S
hen
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12 of 13
Date Payor Payee Method Violations Description
; 18 S.C.
y to
31.
E S
18
.C.
& y to
32.
E S
18
f
C.
& y to
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13 of 13
Date Payor Payee Method Violations Description
33.
E S
en
)
g); 18
S.C.
& y to
34.
esent
E S
to
o re
); 18
S.C.
& n
Case 2:15-cv-00506-RDP Document 1 Filed 03/27/15 Page 138 of 192Case 0:08-md-01916-KAM Document 1080-33 Entered on FLSD Docket 04/27/2016 Page 139 of 193
1 of 24
Drummond Company, Inc., et al. v. Terrence P. Collingsworth, et al.
Appendix C - Payments to alias “Halcon”
Date Payor Payee Method Violations Description
1. September 11, 2007
Rebecca Pendleton
Jose Pinzon International wire via MoneyGram
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
Rebecca Pendleton, a member of Collingsworth’s litigation team and co-conspirator, wires $250 from Florida via MoneyGram to Jose Pinzon in Colombia, an intermediary who then delivers this payment to “Halcon.”
2. September 19, 2007
Rebecca Pendleton
Jose Pinzon International wire via MoneyGram
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
Rebecca Pendleton, a member of Collingsworth’s litigation team and co-conspirator, wires $980 from Florida via MoneyGram to Jose Pinzon in Colombia, an intermediary who then delivers this payment to “Halcon.”
3. October 5, 2007
Rebecca Pendleton
Susanna Carrasco International wire via MoneyGram
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery);
Rebecca Pendleton, a member of Collingsworth’s litigation team and co-conspirator, wires $500 from Florida via MoneyGram to Susanna Carrasco in
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Date Payor Payee Method Violations Description
18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
Colombia, an intermediary who then delivers this payment to “Halcon.”
4. October 5, 2007
Rebecca Pendleton
Susanna Carrasco International wire via MoneyGram
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
Rebecca Pendleton, a member of Collingsworth’s litigation team and co-conspirator, wires $438 from Florida via MoneyGram to Susanna Carrasco in Colombia, an intermediary who then delivers this payment to “Halcon.”
5. October 19, 2007
Rebecca Pendleton
Susanna Carrasco International wire via MoneyGram
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
Rebecca Pendleton, a member of Collingsworth’s litigation team and co-conspirator, wires $469 from Florida via MoneyGram to Susanna Carrasco in Colombia, an intermediary who then delivers this payment to “Halcon.”
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Date Payor Payee Method Violations Description
6. January 8, 2008 Rebecca Pendleton
Jose Pinzon International wire via MoneyGram
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
Rebecca Pendleton, a member of Collingsworth’s litigation team and co-conspirator, wires $290 from Florida via MoneyGram to Jose Pinzon in Colombia, an intermediary who then delivers this payment to “Halcon.”
7. January 11, 2008
Rebecca Pendleton
Susanna Carrasco International wire via MoneyGram
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
Rebecca Pendleton, a member of Collingsworth’s litigation team and co-conspirator, wires $1,960 from Florida via MoneyGram to Susanna Carrasco in Colombia, an intermediary who then delivers this payment to “Halcon.”
8. January 31, 2008
Rebecca Pendleton
Jose Pinzon International wire via MoneyGram
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503
Rebecca Pendleton, a member of Collingsworth’s litigation team and co-conspirator, wires $485 from Florida via MoneyGram to Jose Pinzon in Colombia, an intermediary who then delivers this payment to “Halcon.”
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Date Payor Payee Method Violations Description
(obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
9. February 18, 2008
Rebecca Pendleton
Susanna Carrasco International wire via MoneyGram
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
Rebecca Pendleton, a member of Collingsworth’s litigation team and co-conspirator, wires $1,470 from Florida via MoneyGram to Susanna Carrasco in Colombia, an intermediary who then delivers this payment to “Halcon.”
10. March 14, 2008 Rebecca Pendleton
Susanna Carrasco International wire via MoneyGram
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
Rebecca Pendleton, a member of Collingsworth’s litigation team and co-conspirator, wires $1,220 from Florida via MoneyGram to Susanna Carrasco in Colombia, an intermediary who then delivers this payment to “Halcon.”
11. April 8, 2008 Rebecca Pendleton
Jose Pinzon International wire via MoneyGram
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. §
Rebecca Pendleton, a member of Collingsworth’s litigation team and co-conspirator, wires $738 from Florida via MoneyGram to Jose Pinzon in Colombia, an intermediary who then delivers this
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Date Payor Payee Method Violations Description
1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
payment to “Halcon.”
12. April 8, 2008 Rebecca Pendleton
Susanna Carrasco International wire via MoneyGram
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
Rebecca Pendleton, a member of Collingsworth’s litigation team and co-conspirator, wires $1,223 from Florida via MoneyGram to Susanna Carrasco in Colombia, an intermediary who then delivers this payment to “Halcon.”
13. May 13, 2008 Rebecca Pendleton
Jose Pinzon International wire via MoneyGram
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
Rebecca Pendleton, a member of Collingsworth’s litigation team and co-conspirator, wires $230 from Florida via MoneyGram to Jose Pinzon in Colombia, an intermediary who then delivers this payment to “Halcon.”
14. May 13, 2008 Rebecca Susanna Carrasco International wire 18 U.S.C. § 1343 Rebecca Pendleton, a member of
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Date Payor Payee Method Violations Description
Pendleton via MoneyGram (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
Collingsworth’s litigation team and co-conspirator, wires $1,230 from Florida via MoneyGram to Susanna Carrasco in Colombia, an intermediary who then delivers this payment to “Halcon.”
15. June 17, 2008 Rebecca Pendleton
Jose Pinzon International wire via MoneyGram
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
Rebecca Pendleton, a member of Collingsworth’s litigation team and co-conspirator, wires $1,180 from Florida via MoneyGram to Jose Pinzon in Colombia, an intermediary who then delivers this payment to “Halcon.”
16. July 15, 2008 Rebecca Pendleton
Jose Pinzon International wire via MoneyGram
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of
Rebecca Pendleton, a member of Collingsworth’s litigation team and co-conspirator, wires $1,270 from Florida via MoneyGram to Jose Pinzon in Colombia, an intermediary who then delivers this payment to “Halcon.”
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Date Payor Payee Method Violations Description
justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
17. August 5, 2008 Rebecca Pendleton
Jose Pinzon International wire via MoneyGram
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
Rebecca Pendleton, a member of Collingsworth’s litigation team and co-conspirator, wires $1,280 from Florida via MoneyGram to Jose Pinzon in Colombia, an intermediary who then delivers this payment to “Halcon.”
18. September 18, 2008
Susana Tellez Jose Pinzon International wire via MoneyGram
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
Susana Tellez, a member of Collingsworth’s litigation team, wires $1,225 from Florida via MoneyGram to Jose Pinzon in Colombia, an intermediary who then delivers this payment to “Halcon.”
19. October 20, 2008
Susana Tellez Jose Pinzon International wire via MoneyGram
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A)
Susana Tellez, a member of Collingsworth’s litigation team, wires $1,274 from Florida via MoneyGram to Jose Pinzon in Colombia, an intermediary who then delivers this payment to “Halcon.”
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Date Payor Payee Method Violations Description
(money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
20. December 9, 2008
Richard Gordon Jose Pinzon International wire via MoneyGram
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
Richard Gordon, a Conrad & Scherer employee, wires $1,250 from Florida via MoneyGram to Jose Pinzon in Colombia, an intermediary who then delivers this payment to “Halcon.”
21. January 15, 2009
Richard Gordon Jose Pinzon International wire via MoneyGram
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
Richard Gordon, a Conrad & Scherer employee, wires $1,250 from Florida via MoneyGram to Jose Pinzon in Colombia, an intermediary who then delivers this payment to “Halcon.”
22. February 26, 2009
Andy Tejeda Jose Pinzon International wire via MoneyGram
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18
Andy Tejeda, a Conrad & Scherer employee, wires $1,250 from Florida via
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Date Payor Payee Method Violations Description
U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
MoneyGram to Jose Pinzon in Colombia, an intermediary who then delivers this payment to “Halcon.”
23. March 30, 2009 Richard Gordon Jose Pinzon International wire via MoneyGram
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
Richard Gordon, a Conrad & Scherer employee, wires $1,250 from Florida via MoneyGram to Jose Pinzon in Colombia, an intermediary who then delivers this payment to “Halcon.”
24. May 12, 2009 Richard Gordon Jose Pinzon International wire via MoneyGram
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C.
Richard Gordon, a Conrad & Scherer employee, wires $1,250 from Florida via MoneyGram to Jose Pinzon in Colombia, an intermediary who then delivers this payment to “Halcon.”
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Date Payor Payee Method Violations Description
§ 1512 (witness tampering)
25. June 24, 2009 Richard Gordon Jose Pinzon International wire via MoneyGram
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
Richard Gordon, a Conrad & Scherer employee, wires $1,250 from Florida via MoneyGram to Jose Pinzon in Colombia, an intermediary who then delivers this payment to “Halcon.”
26. August 24, 2009
Richard Gordon Jose Pinzon International wire via MoneyGram
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
Richard Gordon, a Conrad & Scherer employee, wires $1,250 from Florida via MoneyGram to Jose Pinzon in Colombia, an intermediary who then delivers this payment to “Halcon.”
27. September 15, 2009
Andy Tejeda Jose Pinzon International wire via MoneyGram
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money
Andy Tejeda, a Conrad & Scherer employee, wires $1,250 from Florida via MoneyGram to Jose Pinzon in Colombia, an intermediary who then delivers this payment to “Halcon.”
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Date Payor Payee Method Violations Description
laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
28. October 19, 2009
Richard Gordon Jose Pinzon International wire via MoneyGram
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
Richard Gordon, a Conrad & Scherer employee, wires $1,250 from Florida via MoneyGram to Jose Pinzon in Colombia, an intermediary who then delivers this payment to “Halcon.”
29. November 12, 2009
Richard Gordon Jose Pinzon International wire via MoneyGram
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
Richard Gordon, a Conrad & Scherer employee, wires $1,250 from Florida via MoneyGram to Jose Pinzon in Colombia, an intermediary who then delivers this payment to “Halcon.”
30. December 17, 2009
Richard Gordon Jose Pinzon International wire via MoneyGram
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201
Richard Gordon, a Conrad & Scherer employee, wires $1,250 from Florida via MoneyGram to Jose Pinzon in Colombia,
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Date Payor Payee Method Violations Description
(witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
an intermediary who then delivers this payment to “Halcon.”
31. January 29, 2010
Andy Tejeda Jose Pinzon International wire via MoneyGram
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
Andy Tejeda, a Conrad & Scherer employee, wires $1,250 from Florida via MoneyGram to Jose Pinzon in Colombia, an intermediary who then delivers this payment to “Halcon.”
32. February 19, 2010
Richard Gordon Jose Pinzon International wire via MoneyGram
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness
Richard Gordon, a Conrad & Scherer employee, wires $1,250 from Florida via MoneyGram to Jose Pinzon in Colombia, an intermediary who then delivers this payment to “Halcon.”
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Date Payor Payee Method Violations Description
tampering) 33. March 26, 2010 Richard Gordon Jose Pinzon International wire
via MoneyGram 18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
Richard Gordon, a Conrad & Scherer employee, wires $1,250 from Florida via MoneyGram to Jose Pinzon in Colombia, an intermediary who then delivers this payment to “Halcon.”
34. April 23, 2010 Jonathan Castano Jose Pinzon International wire via MoneyGram
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
Jonathan Castano, a Conrad & Scherer employee, wires $1,250 from Florida via MoneyGram to Jose Pinzon in Colombia, an intermediary who then delivers this payment to “Halcon.”
35. May 28, 2010 Richard Gordon Jose Pinzon International wire via MoneyGram
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18
Richard Gordon, a Conrad & Scherer employee, wires $1,250 from Florida via MoneyGram to Jose Pinzon in Colombia, an intermediary who then delivers this payment to “Halcon.”
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Date Payor Payee Method Violations Description
U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
36. June 25, 2010 Richard Gordon Jose Pinzon International wire via MoneyGram
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
Richard Gordon, a Conrad & Scherer employee, wires $1,250 from Florida via MoneyGram to Jose Pinzon in Colombia, an intermediary who then delivers this payment to “Halcon.”
37. July 30, 2010 Richard Gordon Jose Pinzon International wire via Western Union
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
Richard Gordon, a Conrad & Scherer employee, wires $1,250 from Florida via Western Union to Jose Pinzon in Colombia, an intermediary who then delivers this payment to “Halcon.”
38. September 3, 2010
Richard Gordon Jose Pinzon International wire via Western Union
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery);
Richard Gordon, a Conrad & Scherer employee, wires $1,250 from Florida via Western Union to Jose Pinzon in Colombia, an intermediary who then
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Date Payor Payee Method Violations Description
18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
delivers this payment to “Halcon.”
39. October 1, 2010
Richard Gordon Jose Pinzon International wire via Western Union
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
Richard Gordon, a Conrad & Scherer employee, wires $1,250 from Florida via Western Union to Jose Pinzon in Colombia, an intermediary who then delivers this payment to “Halcon.”
40. November 8, 2010
Jeremy Puentes Jose Pinzon International wire via Western Union
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
Jeremy Puentes, a Conrad & Scherer employee, wires $1,250 from Florida via Western Union to Jose Pinzon in Colombia, an intermediary who then delivers this payment to “Halcon.”
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Date Payor Payee Method Violations Description
41. December 7, 2010
Jonathan Castano Jose Pinzon International wire via Western Union
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
Jonathan Castano, a Conrad & Scherer employee, wires $1,250 from Florida via Western Union to Jose Pinzon in Colombia, an intermediary who then delivers this payment to “Halcon.”
42. January 10, 2011
Richard Gordon Jose Pinzon International wire via Western Union
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
Richard Gordon, a Conrad & Scherer employee, wires $1,250 from Florida via Western Union to Jose Pinzon in Colombia, an intermediary who then delivers this payment to “Halcon.”
43. February 11, 2011
Jonathan Castano Jose Pinzon International wire via Western Union
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503
Jonathan Castano, a Conrad & Scherer employee, wires $1,250 from Florida via Western Union to Jose Pinzon in Colombia, an intermediary who then delivers this payment to “Halcon.”
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Date Payor Payee Method Violations Description
(obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
44. March 4, 2011 Richard Gordon Jose Pinzon International wire via Western Union
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
Richard Gordon, a Conrad & Scherer employee, wires $1,250 from Florida via Western Union to Jose Pinzon in Colombia, an intermediary who then delivers this payment to “Halcon.”
45. April 11, 2011 Jeremy Puentes Jose Pinzon International wire via Western Union
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
Jeremy Puentes, a Conrad & Scherer employee, wires $1,250 from Florida via Western Union to Jose Pinzon in Colombia, an intermediary who then delivers this payment to “Halcon.”
46. May 6, 2011 Richard Gordon Jose Pinzon International wire via Western Union
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. §
Richard Gordon, a Conrad & Scherer employee, wires $1,250 from Florida via Western Union to Jose Pinzon in Colombia, an intermediary who then delivers this payment to “Halcon.”
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Date Payor Payee Method Violations Description
1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
47. June 3, 2011 Richard Gordon Jose Pinzon International wire via Western Union
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
Richard Gordon, a Conrad & Scherer employee, wires $1,250 from Florida via Western Union to Jose Pinzon in Colombia, an intermediary who then delivers this payment to “Halcon.”
48. July 1, 2011 Richard Gordon Jose Pinzon International wire via Western Union
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
Richard Gordon, a Conrad & Scherer employee, wires $1,250 from Florida via Western Union to Jose Pinzon in Colombia, an intermediary who then delivers this payment to “Halcon.”
49. August 5, 2011 Richard Gordon Jose Pinzon International wire 18 U.S.C. § 1343 Richard Gordon, a Conrad & Scherer
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Date Payor Payee Method Violations Description
via Western Union
(wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
employee, wires $1,250 from Florida via Western Union to Jose Pinzon in Colombia, an intermediary who then delivers this payment to “Halcon.”
50. September 2, 2011
Richard Gordon Jose Pinzon International wire via Western Union
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
Richard Gordon, a Conrad & Scherer employee, wires $1,250 from Florida via Western Union to Jose Pinzon in Colombia, an intermediary who then delivers this payment to “Halcon.”
51. October 7, 2011
Richard Gordon Jose Pinzon International wire via Western Union
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of
Richard Gordon, a Conrad & Scherer employee, wires $1,250 from Florida via Western Union to Jose Pinzon in Colombia, an intermediary who then delivers this payment to “Halcon.”
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Date Payor Payee Method Violations Description
justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
52. November 4, 2011
Richard Gordon Jose Pinzon International wire via Western Union
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
Richard Gordon, a Conrad & Scherer employee, wires $1,250 from Florida via Western Union to Jose Pinzon in Colombia, an intermediary who then delivers this payment to “Halcon.”
53. December 2, 2011
Richard Gordon Jose Pinzon International wire via Western Union
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
Richard Gordon, a Conrad & Scherer employee, wires $1,250 from Florida via Western Union to Jose Pinzon in Colombia, an intermediary who then delivers this payment to “Halcon.”
54. December 5, 2011
Luisa Pavolini Jose Pinzon International wire via Western Union
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A)
Luisa Pavolini, a Conrad & Scherer employee, wires $1,250 from Florida via Western Union to Jose Pinzon in Colombia, an intermediary who then delivers this payment to “Halcon.”
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Date Payor Payee Method Violations Description
(money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
55. January 10, 2012
Maggie Crosby Jose Pinzon Domestic bank wire followed by an international wire via MoneyGram
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
’
in Washington, D.C. Maggie Crosby, a Conrad & Scherer employee, then withdraws $1,250
and wires it to Colombia via MoneyGram to Jose Pinzon, an intermediary who then delivers this payment to “Halcon.”
56. February 1, 2012
Maggie Crosby Jose Pinzon Domestic bank wire followed by an international wire via MoneyGram
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
’
in Washington, D.C. Maggie Crosby, a Conrad & Scherer employee, then withdraws $1,250
and wires it to Colombia via MoneyGram to Jose Pinzon, an intermediary who then delivers this payment to “Halcon.”
57. March 5, 2012 Maggie Crosby Jose Pinzon Domestic bank wire followed by
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18
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Date Payor Payee Method Violations Description
an international wire via MoneyGram
U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
in Washington, D.C. Maggie Crosby, a Conrad & Scherer employee, then withdraws $1,250
and wires it to Colombia via MoneyGram to Jose Pinzon, an intermediary who then delivers this payment to “Halcon.”
58. April 2, 2012 Maggie Crosby Jose Pinzon Domestic bank wire followed by an international wire via MoneyGram
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
50 from its
in Washington, D.C. Maggie Crosby, a Conrad & Scherer employee, then withdraws $1,250
and wires it to Colombia via MoneyGram to Jose Pinzon, an intermediary who then delivers this payment to “Halcon.”
59. May 7, 2012 Maggie Crosby Jose Pinzon Domestic bank wire followed by an international wire via MoneyGram
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C.
from its
in Washington, D.C. Maggie Crosby, a Conrad & Scherer employee, then withdraws $1,250
and wires it to Colombia via MoneyGram to Jose Pinzon, an intermediary who then delivers this payment to “Halcon.”
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Date Payor Payee Method Violations Description
§ 1512 (witness tampering)
60. June 7, 2012 Maggie Crosby Jose Pinzon Domestic bank wire followed by an international wire via MoneyGram
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
res $1,250 from its ’
in Washington, D.C. Maggie Crosby, a Conrad & Scherer employee, then withdraws $1,250
and wires it to Colombia via MoneyGram to Jose Pinzon, an intermediary who then delivers this payment to “Halcon.”
61. July 10, 2012 Maggie Crosby Jose Pinzon Domestic bank wire followed by an international wire via MoneyGram
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
$1,250 from its ’
in Washington, D.C. Maggie Crosby, a Conrad & Scherer employee, then withdraws $1,250
and wires it to Colombia via MoneyGram to Jose Pinzon, an intermediary who then delivers this payment to “Halcon.”
62. August 3, 2012 Maggie Crosby Jose Pinzon Domestic bank wire followed by an international wire via MoneyGram
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money
1,250 from its
in Washington, D.C. Maggie Crosby, a Conrad & Scherer employee, then withdraws $1,250
and wires it to Colombia via MoneyGram to Jose
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24 of 24
Date Payor Payee Method Violations Description
laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
Pinzon, an intermediary who then delivers this payment to “Halcon.”
63. October 1, 2012
Maggie Crosby Jose Pinzon Domestic bank wire followed by an international wire via MoneyGram
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
ts
in Washington, D.C. Maggie Crosby, a Conrad & Scherer employee, then withdraws $1,250
and wires it to Colombia via MoneyGram to Jose Pinzon, an intermediary who then delivers this payment to “Halcon.”
64. October 9, 2012
Maggie Crosby Jose Pinzon Domestic bank wire followed by an international wire via MoneyGram
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud); 18 U.S.C. § 201 (witness bribery); 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) (money laundering); 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice); 18 U.S.C. § 1512 (witness tampering)
in Washington, D.C. Maggie Crosby, a Conrad & Scherer employee, then withdraws $1,250
and wires it to Colombia via MoneyGram to Jose Pinzon, an intermediary who then delivers this payment to “Halcon.”
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1 of 7
Drummond Company, Inc., et al. v. Terrence P. Collingsworth, et al.
Appendix D - Fraudulent Concealment of Witness Payments in Court Filings and Sworn Testimony
Date Violation(s) Description
1. July 5, 2011 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice)
18 U.S.C. § 1512(c)(2) (obstruction of justice)
With the intent to corruptly influence, impede, and obstruct the due administration of justice, and to perpetuate and fraudulently conceal the Enterprise’s extortionate scheme, Collingsworth signs interrogatory responses in Balcero, one of which asked for a description of “anything of value offered or given by Plaintiffs, or anyone acting on Plaintiffs’ behalf including counsel, to any person disclosed on Plaintiffs’ Rule 26 disclosures, any former paramilitary or any other potential witness in this litigation.” Collingsworth responds by disclosing hamburgers purchased for Libardo Duarte during meetings, travel expenses for plaintiffs being deposed in Alabama, and payments to relocate Plaintiff Claudia Balcero’s family due to alleged death threats. There is no disclosure of the payments to Halcon, Duarte, Charris, .
2. September 9, 2011
18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice)
18 U.S.C. § 1512(c)(2) (obstruction of justice)
Asked whether any member of their litigation team also had an attorney-client relationship with any paramilitary or any other potential witness, Collingsworth signs an interrogatory answer stating, falsely, that other than Collingsworth representing a man named Rafael Garcia, “there are no other attorney-client relationships between Terrence Collingsworth, or anyone acting on Plaintiffs’ behalf, and any category of individual listed in this Interrogatory Request or related to this litigation.” Collingsworth makes these false representations with the intent to corruptly influence, impede, and obstruct the due administration of justice, and to perpetuate and fraudulently conceal the Enterprise’s extortionate scheme.
3. November 8, 2011
18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice)
18 U.S.C. § 1341
(mail fraud)
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud)
With the intent to corruptly influence, impede, and obstruct the due administration of justice, and to perpetuate and fraudulently conceal the Enterprise’s extortionate scheme, Collingsworth and Conrad & Scherer falsely represent to the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama that they have already disclosed “anything of value offered or given by Plaintiffs, or anyone acting on Plaintiffs’ behalf including counsel, to” any witness in Balcero.
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4. March 8, 2012 18 U.S.C. § 1503
(obstruction of justice) With the intent to corruptly influence, impede, and obstruct the due administration of justice, and to perpetuate and fraudulently conceal the Enterprise’s extortionate scheme, Collingsworth falsely represents to the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama in open court that Llanos Oil had “no relationship” to Balcero,
o
.
5. April 19, 2012 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice)
18 U.S.C. § 1512(c)(2) (obstruction of justice)
With the intent to corruptly influence, impede, and obstruct the due administration of justice, and to perpetuate and fraudulently conceal the Enterprise’s extortionate scheme, Collingsworth elicits knowingly false letters rogatory testimony from Jaime Blanco,
Collingsworth later submits this testimony as an evidentiary
exhibit in a filing with the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama in Balcero.
6. May 16, 2012 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice)
18 U.S.C. § 1512(c)(2) (obstruction of justice)
With the intent to corruptly influence, impede, and obstruct the due administration of justice, and to perpetuate and fraudulently conceal the Enterprise’s extortionate scheme, Collingsworth serves a sworn amended interrogatory response in Balcero regarding things of value offered or given to paramilitaries, adding lunches purchased for witnesses during letters rogatory testimony, and expenses to relocate Rafael Garcia. There is no disclosure of the payments to Halcon, Duarte, Charris, Gelvez,
7. July 18, 2013 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice)
18 U.S.C. § 1341
(mail fraud)
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud)
With the intent to corruptly influence, impede, and obstruct the due administration of justice, and to perpetuate and fraudulently conceal the Enterprise’s extortionate scheme, Collingsworth and Conrad & Scherer falsely represent to the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama that they had already produced “every document that had” and “all responsive documents” which reflected their witness payments.
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8. August of 2013 18 U.S.C. § 1503
(obstruction of justice)
18 U.S.C. § 1341 (mail fraud)
18 U.S.C. § 1343
(wire fraud)
With the intent to corruptly influence, impede, and obstruct the due administration of justice, and to perpetuate and fraudulently conceal the Enterprise’s extortionate scheme, Collingsworth and Conrad & Scherer submit three sworn declarations in support of motions to quash Drummond’s subpoenas to third parties targeting witness payments in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, and the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. Collingsworth falsely testifies that he has already produced all responsive documents reflecting the Enterprise’s payments to witnesses. Citing this false testimony, Conrad & Scherer and Collingsworth then falsely represent to these three courts that all documents showing the fact of witness payments have been produced.
9. October 10, 2013
18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice)
With the intent to corruptly influence, impede, and obstruct the due administration of justice, and to perpetuate and fraudulently conceal the Enterprise’s extortionate scheme, Collingsworth and Conrad & Scherer falsely represent to the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama in open court that, with the exception of one that had placed on a privilege log, they had already “produced all responsive documents” showing their “security” payments to witnesses.
10. October 31, 2013
18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice)
18 U.S.C. § 1341
(mail fraud)
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud)
With the intent to corruptly influence, impede, and obstruct the due administration of justice, and to perpetuate and fraudulently conceal the Enterprise’s extortionate scheme, Collingsworth and Conrad & Scherer falsely represent to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York that they
“[D]isclosed the fact of security payments in Balcero, producing all responsive, non-privileged documents regarding funds provided to Drummond witnesses through June 2012.”
Collingsworth submits a sworn declaration in support of this filing, falsely testifying “
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11. November 7, 2013
18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice)
18 U.S.C. § 1341
(mail fraud)
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud)
Citing Collingsworth’s sworn declaration, Collingsworth and Conrad & Scherer falsely represent to the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama that the only witnesses they paid were Halcon, Charris, Duarte and Gelvez. Collingsworth and Conrad & Scherer make these knowingly false representations with the intent to corruptly influence, impede, and obstruct the due administration of justice, and to perpetuate and fraudulently conceal the Enterprise’s extortionate scheme.
12. December 6, 2013
18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice)
18 U.S.C. § 1341
(mail fraud)
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud)
With the intent to corruptly influence, impede, and obstruct the due administration of justice, and to perpetuate and fraudulently conceal the Enterprise’s extortionate scheme, Collingsworth and Conrad & Scherer falsely represent to the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama that Duarte, Gelvez and Charris were “[t]he three Balcero witnesses who received security assistance from Defendants.”
13. December 20, 2013
18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice)
18 U.S.C. § 1341
(mail fraud)
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud)
With the intent to corruptly influence, impede, and obstruct the due administration of justice, and to perpetuate and fraudulently conceal the Enterprise’s extortionate scheme, Collingsworth and Conrad & Scherer falsely represent to the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama that “the facts are clear Defendants properly provided security assistance to three witnesses.”
14. January 22, 2014
18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice)
18 U.S.C. § 1341
(mail fraud)
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud)
With the intent to corruptly influence, impede, and obstruct the due administration of justice, and to perpetuate and fraudulently conceal the Enterprise’s extortionate scheme, Collingsworth and Conrad & Scherer falsely represent to the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama that they have produced all documents reflecting the fact of payments to witnesses.
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15. April 14, 2014 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice)
18 U.S.C. § 1341
(mail fraud)
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud)
With the intent to corruptly influence, impede, and obstruct the due administration of justice, and to perpetuate and fraudulently conceal the Enterprise’s extortionate scheme, Collingsworth submits another sworn declaration to the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama, testifying that “
” Collingsworth and
Conrad & Scherer also falsely represent that “their production in response to the Court’s October 15 Order is complete.”
16. April 21, 2014 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice)
With the intent to corruptly influence, impede, and obstruct the due administration of justice, and to perpetuate and fraudulently conceal the Enterprise’s extortionate scheme, Collingsworth and Conrad & Scherer falsely represent to the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama in open court that the only witnesses they paid were Halcon, Charris, Duarte and Gelvez, and
17. May 30, 2014 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice)
18 U.S.C. § 1341
(mail fraud)
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud)
With the intent to corruptly influence, impede, and obstruct the due administration of justice, and to perpetuate and fraudulently conceal the Enterprise’s extortionate scheme, Collingsworth and Conrad & Scherer falsely represent to a state court in California that payments were made for the benefit of only “three of the many witnesses in the Drummond matter.”
18. June 20, 2014 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice)
18 U.S.C. § 1341
(mail fraud)
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud)
In a filing signed by RICO Defendants William R. Scherer, Collingsworth, and Conrad & Scherer represent to the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida that
“As noted, these ‘payments’ were necessary costs to relocate family members of three witnesses whose family members were threatened by armed thugs after the three witnesses were on record implicating Drummond in human rights crimes and before the witnesses were about to testify against Drummond. Dr. Opp. Ex. 4, Collingsworth Decl. at ¶¶ 34-44. For Drummond to now challenge the legitimacy of that emergency assistance is pure Chutzpah; for Drummond to continue to assert without foundation that Defendants ‘paid witnesses’ is a deliberate
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misrepresentation to the Court.” This misrepresentation was made with the intent to corruptly influence, impede, and obstruct the due administration of justice, and to perpetuate and fraudulently conceal the Enterprise’s extortionate scheme.
19. July 9, 2014 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice)
18 U.S.C. § 1341
(mail fraud)
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud)
Citing Collingsworth’s sworn declaration, Collingsworth and Conrad & Scherer falsely represent to the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama that
“
”
This misrepresentation was made with the intent to corruptly influence, impede, and obstruct the due administration of justice, and to perpetuate and fraudulently conceal the Enterprise’s extortionate scheme.
20. July 18, 2014 18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice)
18 U.S.C. § 1341
(mail fraud)
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud)
Citing Collingsworth’s sworn declaration, Collingsworth and Conrad & Scherer represent to the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama:
“ Defendants’ provision of security a b r
This misrepresentation was made with the intent to corruptly influence, impede, and obstruct the due administration of justice, and to perpetuate and fraudulently conceal the Enterprise’s extortionate scheme.
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21. August 25,
2014 18 U.S.C. § 1503
(obstruction of justice)
18 U.S.C. § 1341 (mail fraud)
18 U.S.C. § 1343
(wire fraud)
With the intent to corruptly influence, impede, and obstruct the due administration of justice, and to perpetuate and fraudulently conceal the Enterprise’s extortionate scheme, Collingsworth and Conrad & Scherer falsely represent in a filing with the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama that they only “
”
22. September 23, 2014
18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice)
18 U.S.C. § 1341
(mail fraud)
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud)
With the intent to corruptly influence, impede, and obstruct the due administration of justice, and to perpetuate and fraudulently conceal the Enterprise’s extortionate scheme, Conrad & Scherer falsely represents to a Florida state court that the only witnesses they paid were Halcon, Charris, Duarte and Gelvez. Collingsworth submits a sworn declaration in support of this filing and falsely testifies that the only individuals who received “security” payments were Halcon, Charris, Duarte, Gelvez, and lead Balcero plaintiff Claudia Balcero.
23. October 7, 2014
18 U.S.C. § 1503 (obstruction of justice)
18 U.S.C. § 1341
(mail fraud)
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud)
With the intent to corruptly influence, impede, and obstruct the due administration of justice, and to perpetuate and fraudulently conceal the Enterprise’s extortionate scheme, Collingsworth submits a false declaration in California state court, testifying that t
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Drummond Company, Inc., et al. v. Terrence P. Collingsworth, et al.
Appendix E - Dissemination of False Testimony and Misrepresentations to the Media, the United States Department of Justice, and Other Third Parties in Furtherance of the Enterprise’s Multifaceted Extortionate Scheme
Date To From Method Violations Description
1. March 19, 2009 18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud)
T
a
ise’s
2. March 19, 2009 J (AP
orth il 18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud)
T it is filed,
false,
c
D ise’s
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3. May 19-21,
2009 F R F n J R D r M B B P ions), J M ( C n
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud)
O
d
s
o
f al
4. June 1, 2009 D er ( D
rth l 18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud)
C er at the
k th
o the
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5. June 12, 2009 18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud)
C van (on
D
and will
ence
ent to
6. September 11, 2009
Department of Justice
Collingsworth According to his billing records, Collingsworth “[m]eets with Justice Dept lawyers re Drummond’s criminal activity.” Upon information and belief, Collingsworth provides Charris’ false declaration, signed less than two weeks earlier, to the United States Department of Justice, with the intent to fraudulently create additional pressure on Drummond by instigating a U.S. criminal investigation against Drummond. Collingsworth knows that this declaration is false, and he does not disclose that the Enterprise is paying Charris approximately 1,500,000 pesos per month.
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7. September 22, 2009
E t
h 18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud)
C of claration
os per month
p
p
8. September 22, 2009
L
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud)
C nd Charris
c ge that
e nd as
9. September 23, 2009
S 18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud)
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10. September 24, 2009
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud)
C se
lso
s
d
11. December 9, 2009
E
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud)
C ,
C
n D l
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12. December 11,
2009 18 U.S.C. § 1343
(wire fraud) C
e mond as
13. March 23, 2010 R ( I
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud)
C he
sed on the
t d
14. April 27, 2010 S
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud)
C
A
p ates “I
D der.”
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15. May 25, 2010 Collingsworth Albert van Bilderbeek
Email 18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud)
Conspiring to generate additional extrajudicial pressure on Drummond, Albert van Bilderbeek emails Collingsworth, stating “I understood from Dan you maybe coming over here within the next few weeks and wanting to meet…I would like to give you media exposure.”
16. June 29, 2010 Albert van Bilderbeek
Collingsworth Email 18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud)
In furtherance of the Enterprise’s extortionate scheme, Albert van Bilderbeek emails Collingsworth stating that there is “a lot of media attention on your Drummond case.” Collingsworth responds that he is “look[ing] forward to meeting and together closing down Drummond.” Van Bilderbeek replies “Excellent!” and “You will be interviewed for Dutch television!”
17. July 2, 2010 Collingsworth Albert van Bilderbeek
Email 18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud)
Albert van Bilderbeek emails Collingsworth and states “Terry the television broadcast is a major success. Dutch parliament has immediately demanded an investigation.” With the intent to fraudulently generate public pressure on companies to cease doing business with Drummond, Van Bilderbeek also states that they “need a shipping document stating origin Drummond Colombia and beneficiary a Dutch company.”
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18. October 16, 2010
Collingsworth Albert van Bilderbeek
Email 18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud)
Albert van Bilderbeek emails Collingsworth stating the he met with a “reporter from Dutch magazine HP de Tijd” and that “his magazine will publish a very good article about our situation.” Van Bilderbeek also states that “next week I am making a presentation to a large movie producer” and “we may opt to go for royalty proceeds.”
19. November 5, 2010
J anisch worth ail 18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud)
C ges emails with
nd
s
g
l
20. January 19, 2011
P
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud)
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21. February 4, 2011
J 18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud)
C
e
p
y a
C dence se.
22. February 18, 2011
P ers
rth il 18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud)
C molders
C e a deal
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w w.”
23. March 1-2, 2011
M e Moor
worth ail 18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud)
C ges emails with h
s with
24. April 26, 2011 F ak (AP
worth ail 18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud)
I ently generate
me
25. May 24, 2011 M
18 U.S.C. § 1343
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I n (
(wire fraud) F ns
ncy
up
mond,
D
p an
sely
26. June 8, 2011 18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud)
C ing
D
mond,
e
o
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27. July 7, 2011 E DOJ rth il 18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud)
W riminal
i
y
hat
h
28. August 25, 2011
P olders
worth ail 18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud)
C utch journalist
knows
29. October 3, 2011
Frank Bajak (AP reporter) & Segundo
Collingsworth According to his billing records, Collingsworth “[d]rafted letter to US Ambassador McKinley re Colombian
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Mercado-Llorens (lobbying firm)
govt’s failure to consent to prison depos; met with segundo to retain as lobbyist to get congress to pressure Colombia; prepared summary of history of drummond case for segundo, spoke to Dan Kovalik at United Steelworkers re same; discussed same issue with Frank Bajak and Associated Press; drafted letter to CUT to send to AFL-CIO.” All of these communications were with the intent to generate extrajudicial pressure in furtherance of the Enterprise’s extortionate scheme.
30. October 27 & 28, 2011
Ivan Otero and Francisco Ramirez
Lorraine Leete Email
U.S. Mail
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud)
18 U.S.C. § 1341 (mail fraud)
Lorraine Leete emails Ivan Otero and Francisco Ramirez Cuellar attaching a letter sent by U.S. Congressman James P. Moran to Colombian President Santos requesting help with letters rogatory for Samario, El Tigre, Charris, and Blanco.
Otero responds stating that “Santos knows that supporting TLC depends on the protection of human rights”; S
31. December 28, 2011
P ers
rth il 18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud)
W generate
S h
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32. February 4, 2012
C rth al l 18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud)
D emails y
o
33. February 24, 2012
K Kaal
sworth ail 18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud)
W udulently generate a
34. March 4, 2012 F
18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud)
W
lease
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35. March 20, 2012 Peter Smolders (Dutch journalist), Collingsworth, Francisco Ramirez
Albert van Bilderbeek
Email 18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud)
With the intent to fraudulently generate additional extrajudicial pressure on Drummond, Albert van Bilderbeek emails Francisco Ramirez, Collingsworth, Rebecca Pendleton and Peter Smolders regarding an upcoming trip to the Netherlands. Collingsworth states that “collectively we are all very enthusiastic about getting as much press as possible” and tells Francisco Ramirez that “Albert has arranged for you to be on No 1 tv news show.” Van Bilderbeek responds that he will “provide very good press coverage for [him]” during his upcoming trip to Amsterdam.
36. April 10, 2012 Elisa Poteat (DOJ)
Collingsworth According to his billing records, Collingsworth has a teleconference with “Elisa Piteat [sic] at Justice Department and summarized new facts showing Drummond’s role in AUC funding.” Collingsworth disseminates these “facts” with full knowledge that they are false and with the intent to fraudulently create additional pressure on Drummond by instigating a U.S. criminal investigation against Drummond.
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37. April 23, 2012 Frank Bajak (AP reporter)
Collingsworth Email 18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud)
With the intent to fraudulently generate additional extrajudicial pressure on Drummond, Collingsworth emails Frank Bajak an article regarding Jaime Blanco, which includes the false statement that Drummond collaborated with the AUC.
38. April 30, 2012 Frank Bajak (AP reporter)
Collingsworth Email 18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud)
With the intent to fraudulently generate extrajudicial pressure on Drummond, Collingsworth emails Frank Bajak letters rogatory transcripts for four Balcero paramilitary witnesses, Collingsworth knows that this testimony is false, and he does not disclose the Enterprise’s payments to these witnesses.
29. August 15, 2012
Margaret Newkirk (Bloomberg News)
Collingsworth Email 18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud)
With the intent to fraudulently generate additional extrajudicial pressure on Drummond, Collingsworth emails Margaret Newkirk at Bloomberg attaching a copy of the Balcero 3rd Amended Complaint. That document is replete with knowingly false allegations against Drummond premised on the paid-for testimony of Colombian paramilitaries. Collingsworth does not disclose that the allegations in that complaint are knowingly false, nor does he disclose
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d ho
40. September 25, 2012
Huffington Post Cristina Stam (Conrad & Scherer employee)
At the RICO Defendants’ direction, Cristina Stam “[p]repare[d] and sen[t] materials to Huffington Post reporter.” On information and belief, these “materials” include false and misleading statements and witness testimony, which the Enterprise purposefully disseminated with the intent to fraudulently generate additional extrajudicial pressure on Drummond.
41. November 27, 2012
Amnesty International
Cristina Stam (Conrad & Scherer employee)
At the RICO Defendants’ direction, Cristina Stam “[g]ather[ed] documents to send to Amnesty contact.” On information and belief, these “documents” include numerous false and misleading statements and witness testimony, which the Enterprise purposefully disseminated with the intent to fraudulently generate additional extrajudicial pressure on Drummond.
42. November 30, 2012
PAX Christi, Amnesty International
Collingsworth In an effort to fraudulently generate extrajudicial pressure on Drummond in furtherance of the Enterprise’s extortionate scheme, Collingsworth “reviewed email from Pax Cristi re facts in Drummond case fore [sic] report to be published in Netherlands; drafted email response; [and] responded to list of questions from Peter Drury at Amnesty International re Drummond facts report on the case to be published by Amnesty.”
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43. December 3, 2012
Laird Townsend (CNN)
Collingsworth In an effort to fraudulently generate media coverage for his false allegations and further the Enterprise’s extortionate scheme, Collingsworth “[s]poke to Laird Townsend, reporter for CNN re a study on Drummond.”
44. December 3, 2012
45. December 4, 2012
46. December 13, 2012
A
t
s a
r
47. December 13, 2012
Amnesty International
Collingsworth Collingsworth “responded to lengthy questions from Amnesty International”
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regarding Drummond in an effort to disseminate false testimony and fraudulently generate extrajudicial pressure on Drummond in furtherance of the Enterprise’s extortionate scheme.
48. January 14, 2013
Matthew Bristow (Bloomberg News)
Lorraine Leete Email 18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud)
At the RICO Defendants’ direction, and with the intent to further disseminate false testimony and fraudulently generate extrajudicial pressure on Drummond in furtherance of the Enterprise’s extortionate scheme, Lorraine Leete emails Mathew Bristow at Bloomberg regarding the Balcero case, falsely stating that they “have evidence that Drummond’s support allowed a major buildup of the AUC in the areas around Drummond’s facilities and the AUC, in confronting the guerilla groups, used terrorists tactics and massacred thousands of innocent civilians, including relatives of our client.” Leete transmits a copy of Collingsworth’s opposition to Drummond Ltd’s motion for summary judgment. That opposition makes knowingly false representations and is premised on fraudulent testimony
49. January 29, 2013
Marianne Moor and PAX Christi
Collingsworth In furtherance of the Enterprise’s extortionate scheme, Collingsworth meets
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“with Lorraine and Marianne Moor of Pax Cristi to develop strategy for DR campaign in European Union.” That “strategy” includes the dissemination of the false, paid-for testimony of imprisoned Colombian paramilitaries in an effort to generate public pressure on Drummond.
50. February 6, 2013
Frank Bajak (AP reporter)
Collingsworth Email 18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud)
In an effort to fraudulently generate more media coverage for his false allegations and further the Enterprise’s extortionate scheme, Collingsworth exchanges emails with Frank Bajak and directs Christian Levesque to send Bajak a copy of the Balcero plaintiffs’ brief in opposition to Drummond’s motion for summary judgment. That brief is replete with knowingly false statements premised on the testimony that the Enterprise obtained through bribery. Collingsworth falsely states that the Enterprise has “tremendous evidence including testimony from Jaime Blanco,” B ny
51. February 13, 2013
Frank Bajak (AP reporter)
Collingsworth Email 18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud)
With the intent to fraudulently instigate a criminal investigation against Drummond by Colombian authorities, Collingsworth “drafted [a] letter to Colombian prosecutor re gov’ts investigation of Drummond officials for participation in AUC murders.” To fraudulently create generate additional public pressure on Drummond using the media, Collingsworth “drafted [a] press release;
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spoke to Frank Bajak at Associate Press about the Blanco criminal prosecution; drafted email to Frank Bajak and transmitted Blanco and Charris testimony.” Collingsworth knows Blanco and Charris’ testimony is false, a oes n
52. February 21-28, 2013
Anthony Effinger (Bloomberg News)
Lorraine Leete Email 18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud)
Anthony Effinger emails Lorraine Leete, asking questions about Drummond case, requesting deposition transcripts, and stating that he is reading the documents Leete already sent him. At the RICO Defendants’ direction, and with the intent to fraudulently create generate public pressure on Drummond using the media, Leete responds by sending “Deposition Highlights,” deposition transcripts, and Balcero pleadings. The attachments include the false testimony of Gelvez, El Tigre, Blanco, Charris, and Samario, o RICO
53. March 1 & 4, 2013
Alexander Emery (Bloomberg News)
Lorraine Leete Email 18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud)
Alexander Emery at Bloomberg News emails Lorraine Leete regarding Drummond and states that he is going to Colombia next week and wants help contacting the Balcero plaintiffs’ family members. Leete responds, giving Emery contact information for the Colombian Fiscalia, as well as RICO Defendant Ivan Otero’s contact info, and stating that she will facilitate meetings with clients in Bogota. Leete represents that Otero is “a lawyer who represents many of the
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former paramilitaries who have given testimony in the Drummond case.” Leete fails to disclose that Otero has been promised a contingency fee in the case, a
o his
54. March 8, 2013 Bloomberg News Collingsworth To garner additional media coverage and fraudulently create public pressure on Drummond, Collingsworth “participated in interview with Bloomberg reporter” regarding the Enterprise’s fraudulent lawsuits. On information and belief, Collingsworth does not disclose
55. April 8 & 11, 2013
Anthony Effinger (Bloomberg News)
Collingsworth Collingsworth participates in a teleconference “with Anthony from Bloomberg News re article on Drummond case.” Collingsworth “reviewed plaintiffs’ summary judgment opposition to provide key facts to Anthony.” Collingsworth knows that the “key facts” he disseminates are false, because they are premised on the testimony of witnesses he has bribed. Collingsworth disseminates these misrepresentations and false evidence with the intent to further the Enterprise’s multifaceted extortionate campaign by fraudulently generating public pressure on Drummond.
56.
April 9, 2013 Anthony Effinger (Bloomberg
Lorraine Leete Email 18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud)
At the RICO Defendants’ direction, and with the intent to disseminate false testimony against Drummond and
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News) fraudulently generate extrajudicial pressure on Drummond in furtherance of the Enterprise’s extortionate scheme, Lorraine Leete emails Anthony Effinger a copy of Rafael Garcia’s false declaration.
57. April 11, 2013 Anthony Effinger (Bloomberg News)
Lorraine Leete Email 18 U.S.C. § 1343 (wire fraud)
At the RICO Defendants’ direction, and with the intent to disseminate false testimony against Drummond and fraudulently generate extrajudicial pressure on Drummond in furtherance of the Enterprise’s extortionate scheme, Lorraine Leete emails Anthony Effinger the false declaration of Libardo Duarte. Leete does not disclose the fact that Duarte has been paid thousands of dollars by the RICO Defendants.
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